Tempest
by Female President Cocoa-sensei
Summary: Kisaragi Aine has woken up and he's taking back what was originally his. His career, his friends and also Haruka. Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai.
1. Calm Before The Storm

**Tempest**

 **Summary:** _Kisaragi Aine has woken up and he's taking back what was originally his. His career, his friends and also Haruka. Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai._

 **Pairings:** _Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai. Slight!Nanami Haruka X STARISH._

 **Warnings:** _Alternate universe, bored STARISH, love triangle and OCC._

 **A/N:** Well, that was quick. Honestly, this was supposed to be the sequel of 'My Prince' but along the way I found myself turning routes and I dunno why but for some reason it ended up like this. Guess I was inspired by uhh… I dunno.

I'm holding a poll by the way! Review or PM me on who you want to end up with Haruka~! That way I'll be able to settle the plot and write chapters faster. Ciao~!

 **Disclaimer:** _I do not own Uta no Prince-sama or any of its characters. This story is purely fan made and no profit has been made._

 **Chapter One: Calm Before The Storm**

 **Mikaze Ai.**

Cyan eyes and teal hair, top idol, well-known actor and a member of the infamous unit group, Quartet Night. Usually calm and collected, there is nothing his data cannot obtain. Also referred to as the 'Walking Dictionary' by his close friends, team mates and younger classmen while among his fans, he is known as the 'Ice Prince'. With his cold stare and winter warm voice, he caught the hearts of everyone who looked and listened to him. Basically, he's perfect. Plot twist though…

He's artificial.

 **Kisaragi Aine.**

Looks exactly the same as Mikaze Ai, there is a huge difference though. He has not appeared on television for four years because of being stuck on the hospital bed, comatose. Was a well-known idol and is also the best friend of Ai's current team mate in the same unit group, Kotobuki Reiji. Aine's stare was also identical to Ai's if only he stayed still but no… his personally was completely different to that of the Ice Prince's. He keeps a small smile on his face, cyan orbs softening with kindness and motivation. With a melody the same as Ai's, his is more… warm rather than cold. Although that is the case, he's not perfect. Plot twist though…

He's back.

 **Nanami Haruka.**

Coral-pink hair and golden-honey eyes that almost make her seem blind due to the heterochromia irises. She's usually timid and shy, naïve and innocent. Mostly useless but I guess she's not because she composes music for the boys. Her hand writing is neat which makes everyone around her jealous. Her looks are not really that much therefore that leaves everyone around her thinking… WHY HER!? Trivia, she's also known as the 'Harem Queen'. Yes, you have read that right. Harem Queen. I quote. "HAREM QUEEN" Why you ask? It's because she has dozens of guys falling for her innocence. Her nicknames are 'little lamb' and 'lady' which are both made up by none other than Jinguji Ren. Her music writing skills and intelligence are exceptional but she always gets lost and seems to never memorize routes even with a GPS on her hand or a map. Plot twist though…

She's oblivious when it comes to romance.

"M-Mikaze-senpa-Wahh!"

 _Crash_

And obviously clumsy.

"Nanami," Ai stared at Haruka who just tripped over nothing before offering a hand to lift her up. _"So the members of STARISH were precise. She is uncoordinated in walking,"_ he thought, helping her stand. Haruka has been told to compose a song for him to be submitted by the end of the week, it's their first day together and since then, she has been following him around. She said that it's so that she'll get to know his personality better. He thinks that it's unnecessary because she also did that last time so why add more information to her database when she already has enough. Ai didn't complain though, he liked her being his company.

He could feel the hot gaze, more like _death stares_ from the members of STARISH who were looki—wait let me rephrase that, _spying_ at them by the window vane. Cecil was twitching at how close the two were and Ai couldn't help but feel slight satisfaction. "The bastard," Syo muttered under his breath and Ai with his upgraded system, clearly heard his inquiry but because he is _the_ Mikaze Ai, he coolly shrugged it off as if it was a compliment from a top-class worldwide well-known critic who is observing him as he performs on the stage perfectly.

Ren groaned when he saw Haruka's skirt slightly rise when she fell. Masato settles with elbowing him on the stomach, _hard_. "Why are we following them again?" Otoya who seemed so innocent about their current situation decided to ask, rubbing his nape which is a pose he obviously practices on the mirror when Tokiya isn't around.

"We're following them because we have no schedule and we are supposed to spend the whole day with Haruka but it seems like our plans are ruined because of Ai-senpai," Cecil answered for the whole of their group. Syo and Natsuki nodded, their eyes not leaving the two who were having a simple conversation regarding songs. "Hey, doesn't it seem like he's stealing Haruka away from us? She's supposed to be our composer! Who's the composer of Quartet Night anyway?" he continued, making his co-members also agree and wonder. Simply speaking, since they don't have Haruka anymore and they have nothing to do without her, they'll spend the rest of the day _dissing_ the one who stole her instead.

Which is unfortunately… Mikaze Ai. Their _upperclassman_.

Syo twitched when he saw Haruka smiling at what Ai said at some point during their conversation regarding data. "He's too awkward for her! I can't stand this!" the blonde exclaimed, irritated by the subject of the pair's chit chat. If Ai knew so much about data blah blah blah, he should have worked inside a lab or something! Why is he an _idol_ anyway? And why is so _good_ that they can't even bitch about it!? Syo groans.

"Well, Nanami is also awkward sometimes so I guess that makes them a good pai—" Otoya stopped on his tracks when he sensed the others looking at him gravely. Admit it though, Haruka, is _sometimes_ awkward despite her composition skills. "Y-Yeah, Nanami is a goddess," he took back his words and the looks he received where then gone.

Masato coughed when he saw the look on his teammates' eyes, "He's our upperclassman everyone. We need to take this calmly and perhaps it was the President who assigned Nanami to Mikaze-senpai. She can't say no to him, correct?" He was the only one along with Tokiya who made sense at this point. The members of STARISH groaned, giving up. "We'll just have to spend time with her on another day," his statement made Syo sigh but hopefully, it made sense. It was all for the sake of work. Yes… work.

"BUT WE DON'T HAVE WORK!" Syo whined like a five year old.

"We can bake cookies together Syo-chan! Then, we can give it to Haru-chan later as a reward for working hard!" Natsuki suggested and everyone shook their head. This was going to be a long day. A very long _boring_ day. Without Haruka.

"You didn't go to Shining Academy, senpai? How did you become an idol then? Were you scouted in the streets?" the coral-head curiously asked, blinking at the taller male with sparkle in those orbs. She looked amazed. Well, no one can blame her. In those few seconds, he noticed parts of Haruka which he didn't usually see. Her hair which seemed so silky and soft if he just ran his fingers through, long thick lashes, pink lips- he could hear people cough. His data says that it's the members of STARISH.

Ai's expression remained tranquil as it'll ever be. "I'm nothing but a replacement. Aine, Reiji's best friend, got into an accident that's why I'm here," he said with no hint of emotion in his voice. Haruka frowned at his sentence. It was funny how Ai was stoic when he talks but so filled with emotion when he sings. "When he comes back, there's a high possibility that my system will be shut down," he continued. Haruka thinks that he was being negative towards himself. Ai thinks that it's true, that's what his data says after all.

"But you're pretty much irreplaceable senpai. Your fans will recognize the difference and it won't be the same with Quartet Night anymore," Haruka tried to cheer him up to no avail, failed. She sighed, crestfallen. "I mean, everyone is unique. It's pretty much better to be honest than to be impressive," she leaned against the wall behind her, noticing that his expression hasn't changed one bit. She wanted to know more about him. Not because it's for the song but because she's his friend and she wants him to have more confidence in himself.

Ai turned his head slightly to face her, "You don't understand it, Haruka." She looked up at him and tilted her head to the side, blinking. It was then when they heard the clashing of stilettos on the marble covered floor. Long pink locks went along the wind, baby blue eyes smiling at the two.

"Tsukimiya-sensei," Haruka smiled as a greeting while Ai simply stared.

"Haru-chan!" Ringo's footsteps became louder as he ran towards her within the nearest couple of meters. He held both of her hands and exclaimed, "You have a new idol you're going to compose for! Shining says that you need to see him right away!" He sounded so excited when he announced the news.

"N-New idol?" Haruka was confused.

Ringo knitted his eyebrows in worry, "Well, Shining wants you to compose a song based on him so... you just need to see him Haru-chan! Well he's not awake in the moment but… you'll see when we get there!" He grabs Haruka by the hand and offers Ai an apology of borrowing Haruka for a moment. The composer glances at him and waves goodbye while slightly bowing her head out of respect. Ai doesn't wonder who the new idol is. Haruka is a composer and it's her job. But for some reason… his system feels uneasy.

Then, he hears someone twitch and say, "I already have to share with six guys and Quartet Night. Shining's going to add another one?" Well, that was probably Syo… or Cecil.

Ringo and Haruka are inside the car, driving into some place when she decided to ask. "What do you mean by composing for a new idol, sensei?" The car came into a halt when they arrived at the intersection with traffic lights. "It was the President's idea? But I'm currently composing for Mikaze-senpai," she added on. The teacher playfully grinned.

"Yes, it was Shining's idea. He said something about you learning about love and some sort. He didn't say anything about a deadline though, just pass the song to him when you're finished," Ringo replied and Haruka nodded before looking out the window. They passed some shops she was familiar with. The car paused once more at a place she didn't entirely expect. "Here we are," Ringo unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door to get out, Haruka did the same but her eyes didn't stop to narrow in confusion.

"The hospital?" she asked, looking at her teacher who closed the door. He smiled at her before leading the way. Haruka stared at the nameplate when they arrived in front of a hospital room. 'Kisaragi Aine'? Has she heard of that name before? Her eyebrows knit in frustration when she was not able to remember what she wanted.

"Hakase, we're here," Ringo opened the door after he knocked. The composer bowed when they both entered the room and her eyes immediately fall upon the male on the bed. Four to five IV drips were attached to his arms, an oxygen mask on his face. The monitor continued to beep and his expression was serene. What caught most of Haruka's attention was his looks, he was identical to her friend, Mikaze Ai. His features were exactly the same, his lashes, his hair, his complexion. It makes her wonder if his orbs were as beautiful like Ai's and if only he opened them for her to see. Haruka's scrunched up face from confusion immediately soften at the sight.

Hakase bowed, greeting the two before he walked towards Haruka introducing himself and shook her hand. The composer bowed back and introduced herself in response. Ringo's hands both found their way on Haruka's shoulders, "He's the one you're going to compose for, Haru-chan." Her eyes were already focused on the male, not even aware that her teacher said something. Hakase tapped Ringo's shoulder and the male nodded. The teacher sighed, "I'll go talk to Hakase for a minute Haru-chan." With that, the two went out of the room, leaving both behind.

The door creaked and closed. Haruka settled, sitting on a chair beside the male, adoring his features. He just looks so much like Ai yet somehow different. His hair was slightly longer and a bit darker now that she notices. His breathing was shallow and he looked so peaceful in his sleep. She couldn't help but smile, "Kisaragi-kun… huh?" Seeing a small xylophone on the table next to him, she giggled and leaned her elbows on the bed, trying to create a melody with it.

"Surechigai wa kekkyoku unmei de," she slowly sang, trying to get the right notes on the xylophone.

Aine stirred and it made Haruka pause.

"Ehh?" she gasped, the small plastic mallet on her hand stilled. Aine was groaning in his sleep, as if he was inside a nightmare. Haruka gulped.

"Subete wa sujigaki toori date," she continued, struggling to create a tune with lyrics impromptu.

Aine once again shifted, this time with his hands tightly clenching the white sheets of his bed. He was sweating and was breathing heavily though his eyes were still closed. Haruka took it as a bad sign and immediately went out of the room to find the adults. Luckily, they were outside, talking about Aine's condition and Haruka composing for him. Both immediately became alarmed and rush inside to enter the room.

The professor gasped, his eyes widening in astonishment as he looked at the beeping monitor attached to the former idol. At first he just stared in awe but then he noticed that the figure continued to stir, his eyes opening slowly and narrowed when they saw the light as if for the first time. "A-Aine?" the Professor hesitated asking, his hands immediately flying unto the male's shoulders, careful not to hurt him.

"Aine, calm down," Hakase had a hard time giving the male peace. It was the first time in four years he had seen the idol like this. Usually, the male didn't move nor flinch. He never replied to any conversation and just stayed asleep. Seeing him fluster like this made the professor grit his teeth in worry. The composer watched from the corner of the room, her heart ready to get out of her chest. Her lips were pursed as her fingers fiddled the helm of her skirt. Honestly, she was feeling a bit guilty.

"H-Haruka…" Aine muttered from the gas mask. His eyes were threatening to fall again and his lips trembled. He felt cold… just like that day. The one who he mentioned flinched on her place, startled that he mentioned her name. Hakase looked at her and Ringo pushed her forward. She looked hesitant for a second before she walked towards the side of the bed.

"I'm going to go get the nurse. Watch him for a second, okay?" the professor stated and she unconsciously nodded. Her eyes widen in realization but before she knew it, he was already out of the door. Haruka looked at her teacher who was now standing next to her. She sent him a 'What-do-I-do' look and he shrugged, also not knowing what to do.

Haruka sighed nervously, sitting on the chair and for some reason, the male slightly calmed down. She took the courage to speak, careful to not startle him. "K-Kisaragi-san?" her voice stuttered when she felt him stare at her with half-lidded eyes. He smiled at her, tears dropping from the corners of his eyes that were once closed. She gasped and held his hand. "A-Are you okay?" she was worried about him and was startled when he held her hand in hers.

"Haruka," he looked at her with longing, more tears rushing down his face. His thumb stroked her knuckles as if to hold her hand tighter, his grip on her strong yet assuring. Haruka shifted her elbows on the bed, holding his hand in both of hers. He was repeating her name like a chant, a prayer to make her stay. The composer nodded, convincing him that yes, she'll stay. He smiled at her with a smile which was familiar…

One which was not similar to Ai.


	2. Dark Skies

**Tempest**

 **Summary:** _Kisaragi Aine has woken up and he's taking back what was originally his. His career, his friends and also Haruka. Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai._

 **Pairings:** _Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai. Slight!Nanami Haruka X STARISH._

 **Warnings:** _Alternate universe, bored STARISH, love triangle and OCC._

 **A/N:** Okay so this chapter is basically mostly focused on Haruka and Aine. Don't worry though, the next chapter would incorporate Ai's story. It would be all for Ai, trust me guys, we'll also give him attention, that way you guys can choose who you want for Haruka in the end. Let me tell you though, I learned a lot of things while creating this chapter. I've had like seven tabs dedicated for 'causes of amnesia' and 'flower language', it was painful. Haruka and Aine were nearing fourteen when they entered Shining Academy, I don't know if that's possible but this is AU, it's alright I guess. And there are like… child stars so yeah… Hope you guys like it though.

 **Disclaimer:** _I do not own Uta no Prince-sama or any of its characters. This story is purely fan made and no profit has been made._

 **Chapter Two: Dark Skies**

In the wide living room of the master course dorms, everyone could hear Syo scoff, "So you mean that the first thing he says when he wakes up is 'Haruka'?" Otoya's face turned as red as his hair, his hands covering his face. Tokiya nodded, chuckling at his roommate, not noticing the sense of envy in the blonde's voice. Everyone have feelings for her and Otoya just clearly showed that yes, he was also positive in his emotions. The athletic idol groaned, "Damn the no love rule! If it wasn't for that, I would be free!" he exclaimed out loud, his voice very loud but no one dared to stop him. The members of STARISH were the only ones in the mansion right now and their upperclassmen had other schedules.

Haruka was stolen by Ringo-sensei and basically, they're bored to death.

Like… _literally._

Do you know what that means? That means they're free. But because Haruka's not there at the moment, the mansion is basically a prison cell for them. At first, Ren suggested that they go hang out somewhere but then when they got out of the gate, rain started to pour out of nowhere and they had no choice but to go inside again while _bitching_ about the rain on their way back because they are very organized and capable idols and that's what they do for a living. Even the calmest of all, Hijirikawa Masato, slightly twitched, irritated. The weather forecast didn't mention anything about rainfall. They must be magnets of misfortune.

The thunder roared and flashed, STARISH doesn't even look like they care anymore. It was 1:00 in the afternoon and the lights are out because some _weakling_ post in Tokyo fell down and the line has not been fixed. In summary, Haruka is gone, it's raining, there's no electricity and not even wifi. Cecil threw his head back to on the couch and muffled, he was a prince and has never gone through such agony before. Even being a cat was better than this. At least he got to cuddle with his beloved Haruka.

"Hey Cecil, go turn on the generator, I want to watch T.V."

"We tried that earlier and it's broken,"

With that, Syo whined. Bored STARISH sure is pitiful, aren't they?

On the other hand, Nanami Haruka was still in the hospital. She was sitting beside Aine, listening to his stories and talking to him, "So are you feeling better now Kisaragi-san? You just woke up, please don't strain yourself." Her worried tone made him smile and Ringo to somehow giggle. It was funny how she stutters in front of others while saying such short sentences but currently, it seemed to be the opposite. "You need to recover fast to get out of the hospital you know," her smile was alluring and Aine found himself staring at her.

He then blinked before nodding, "Hai, hai, Ruka-chan." The composer sighed, staring at him. Thankfully, he was no longer as pale as chalk, his complexion brightened and his eyes looked livelier than it was two hours ago. Still, Haruka couldn't help but get worried. Though the oxygen mask has been removed, a couple of I.V. drips were still attached to him. Her eyes narrowed, it must be painful to put up with that for years. The male looked at her and noticed her crestfallen expression, "Are you worried?"

Haruka shook her head, "A-A little bit." Aine refused to sleep when the doctors and nurses recommended it to him. She doesn't know why though, he didn't tell her and she refused to ask thinking that it was too personal. "What did the doctor say?" it was a simple question that deemed to be general. She didn't want him to think that she was too persistent nor make him stressed. She didn't want to add more strain on him. She merely waited for him to answer, not minding the smiles she received from her teacher and the professor.

"I can go out after a week, I'm still under surveillance," he replied as if it was the most normal thing in the world. A smile was plastered on his face and it looked like he didn't mind at all. Haruka blinked at him, her mouth opening as if she was about to ask something but her conscience stopped her. She should stop prying into the business of other people. It was not healthy in her opinion. Aine sensed her being reserved and considerate and said, "Enough of me, let's talk about you. You cut your hair and you're acting as if it's the first time we met, it's kind of weird." His tone was playful and his sentence was followed by a soft laugh. His eyes were smiling at the lady yet somehow… his expression seemed so painful.

It took all of Haruka's self control to surpass a gasp and from asking what he meant, "Y-Yes," was all she could think of as a reply. It was pretty broad and mainstream so Aine didn't really think about it much. Behind Haruka, Ringo started bombarding Hakase with questions though soft whispers in order for the two to avoid hearing, he was also curious they guessed.

"You even started calling me 'Kisaragi-san', what are we, in kindergarten? I haven't heard that for years. What happened to my 'Ai-kun' huh?" he continued and was that a pout on his lips that Haruka was seeing? And what was he talking about? "Don't tell me you're still mad about that?" all of a sudden, his cheerfulness turned into a crestfallen smile.

"Eh?" Haruka looked a bit panicked from his question before Ringo stood up from his seat and grabbed her by the wrist making her rise. "R-Ringo-sensei?" now she was even more confused. All of a sudden, Ringo started to insist that they leave. It was raining hard and the thunder was loud, it was dangerous to do so. Aine stared horrified at the scene before he got up on his bed, sitting up and grabbed Haruka by her unoccupied hand. The patient twitched, he forgot that there were needles attached to him and it hurt like hell. He has no intention of making her leave though, not again.

Not for a second time.

The monitor beeped, his blood pressure rising and the professor immediately rushed to his side. He didn't mind him though. His cyan orbs were only focused on her heterochromatic ones. "Ringo-sensei, what's the meaning of this?" his tone almost sounded a bit vexed. Irritated. Mad. He was furious. "Is something up?" his eyes softened as if he was asking for an answer and it made Ringo's conscience shatter into pieces. Aine was also his student, a friend.

It was then when Hakase sighed and asked, "Isn't it fine to tell him?"

Ringo looked horrified by the professor's suggestion before he closed his eyes, painfully. The teacher released Haruka's hand and nodded ever so slowly towards Aine before walking back to his seat because this was going to be a very long story. Haruka sat down beside the paitent's bed and Ringo opened his mouth to speak when the pair's attention was finally fully focused on him.

"Well… let's look back on things shall we?" were the teacher's opening remarks and Aine finally relaxed.

Haruka concluded something in the end though…

It was painful being left in the dark.

 _At the age of five, Nanami Haruka ran harder than anybody else, exerted more force than others. She was not born talented like others, she was born frail and fragile, a porcelain doll which required a lot of care and attention to remain beautiful. It was a rainy day in June and her shoes were soaked wet as she sprinted towards the kindergarten's backyard which was only a couple of meters away from her classroom. It was two in the afternoon and her classes have already ended since two hours ago but there she was, running towards the shack with everything she had._

 _She opened the door and ended up panting on, her hands tightly gripped the frame for support. "A-Ai-kun, where's Usa-chan?" she asked, trying to catch her breath. A child, about the same age as her turned around and stood up before walking towards her. It was when she was at her grandmother's house reading books when all of a sudden their house telephone rang._

" _Haru-chan, can you please go get the phone?" her grandmother, who was occupied washing the dishes for they just finished eating lunch, called out to the young lady. The girl hummed yes as she quickly rose to her feet running towards the phone._

 _Bringing it near her ear, she politely said, "Hello, Nanami residence speaking."_

" _Ruka!"_

 _Haruka blinked for a couple of times. There was only one person she knew who called her by that name. "A-Ai-kun?" she was startled by her tone. The caller was Kisaragi Aine, her childhood friend slash classmate slash seatmate slash neighbor who lived a couple of blocks away. Was this one of his call pranks again? Or did he call her because he was bored again? Wait, perhaps he was just excited… like usual. Aine was a pretty outgoing and cheerful child, couldn't blame him though, he was high in sugar from all those sweets he ate during their recess in the kindergarten._

" _It's Usa-chan, she's giving birth!"_

" _Ehh!?" Haruka's voice echoed throughout their house. She could hear Aine explaining the details over the phone, asking her to come to the school's backyard where they usually took care of the rabbit but that was not the problem right now._

" _What do I do Ruka, SHE'S IN LABOR,"_

" _Uhh, uhh," she started to stutter, her eyes switching back and forth from the window to the front door. It was raining but Haruka figured that she could manage… she thinks. "I-I'll be there in twenty minutes so just-" she was cut off by Aine for who knows what._

" _What!? I can't wait that long. You hear that Ruka? She's crying, SHE'S CRYING!"_

 _She figured that Aine was practically shoving the phone near the rabbit's face like literally because she could hear the surroundings shift. "I-I can't hear anything," she reasoned out, her hand automatically flying towards the bridge of her nose, stressed from all the commotion her friend was causing. First of all, Nanami Haruka knew that Rabbits don't cry. Do they even make noises? She wondered._

 _In the end though, she found herself running towards the school after she asked the permission of her grandmother. Before leaving though, she went towards the computer and googled things because surely, Aine had no idea what he was going to do._

 _When she arrived there, Aine was walking towards her and she had to literally fan him using the folded paper she kept safe under her raincoat."You were using Auntie's phone again weren't you Aine?" she interrogated him because for sure, he did. The male teasingly scoffed before looking at the paper she was holding._

" _You googled stuff?" His mind was blown away. "And you printed it?" he continued, amazed. It was as if he was holding himself back from 'awww-ing' at her because… Yep, that was Haruka. Kind, beautiful, caring, sweet, useful—_

" _Where's step one?"_

" _Ehh? There's no step one?"_

" _This is copy pasted from Utapedia, I assume,"_

"… _."_

" _Well?"_

" _Yeah…"_

 _-well, most of her efforts often end up in vain… I guess._

 _And they spent the rest of their time watching Usa-chan in labor, mostly with Haruka holding unto Aine who had his eyes covered while he sobbed, kicking his tiny feet because he couldn't bear to watch the love of his life 'Usa-chan' in pain or so he says. Well they weren't supposed to do anything anyway. Rabbits can give birth to their children by themselves._

Haruka blinked, "Ehh?" Hakase and Aine chuckled crestfallen at her reaction.

"I remember that one. Mom scolded me a lot that day and she said that I was exaggerating. I still wonder why we didn't ask the help of an adult during that day though," Aine explained while chuckling. Ringo smiled, four years ago back then when he was just assigned as a teacher in Saotome Academy, Aine was fond of telling him stories such as these. It definitely did bring back memories.

Hakase sadly smiled, "So that makes you two childhood friends." He glanced at the ever so confused Haruka who remained silent throughout everything. Her eyes were narrowed and eyebrows knitted, surely, she was trying to think things through. Or perhaps remember something. It was then Aine noticed her movements, she was acting strange since Ringo grabbed her hand. Her said 'childhood friend' stared at her worried, his head tilting at her with an anxious smile on his face as he raised his eyebrows as if to ask what's wrong. Haruka just smiled back at him.

She couldn't remember him at all.

The three continued to speak about her and Aine and how they used to hang out together leaving her silent on her seat. She looked at her lap as her fists clenched the soft fabric of her skirt. What in the world was going on right now? She was not able to comprehend a single thing. She could not remember his name or his face. All she knew was that he looked oddly similar to Mikaze Ai.

Her upperclassman.

And not… Aine.

"…Ruka…Ruka," Aine was holding unto her hand which along the way found itself on his bed. He stared at her worriedly. This hasn't been the first time she dozed off, perhaps something was bothering her. "I've been calling out to you since earlier," it was funny how Aine was sitting on the hospital bed with various machines attached to him yet he looked healthier than she did in comparison. Ringo remained silent along with Hakase, they knew what was coming next.

"Ruka?" when the girl didn't answer him, he became more worried. "Are you okay?" his grip on her hand became a bit tighter than before.

"You two were pretty close since you were young. You even entered the same school and shared the same dream," Ringo continued out of the blue. This was needed. Things needed to be cleared up. "You were only separated four years ago when Haruka decided to take the surgery…"

" _Ruka, what do you think about me being debuting as an idol? Do you think that I'll be able to handle it? Will I manage? Am I talented enough?" The scenery was familiar to the current one, everything around them was a sea of white, from the bed to the curtains and even her dress which the hospital specially provided was white. All that stood out among the crowd was their unusual hair color, sunset coral-rose and pantone-cyan blue. They both looked like they were about the same age, fourteen years old._

 _Haruka nodded, her hands expertly moving the paring knife she was using to peel apples. "Tell me something I don't know," Aine said, leaning on her bed, his weight on his elbows. His eyes looked eager and he was expecting an answer from her. Haruka was smart, he knew that she wouldn't let him down._

 _She paused for a second to look at him before turning her attention back to her hand, "Well you sing well, dance well and you can cooperate with others. Your acting is far from the best though." She giggled at the end of her sentence when she saw him smiling at her._

" _And you're my stubborn composer who doesn't know when to rest and continues to push through her limits even though you were already at the verge of fainting," Aine chuckled leaning back to his chair. He likes it when she compliments him, it gives him a lot more confidence because knowing Haruka, she is completely honest and it does not scare him to know that he is flawless. That he can make mistakes around her. "When are you going to take the surgery by the way?" he asked._

 _There was silence between them for a moment, her hands stopping their movement._

 _Haruka could feel her breath waver as she replied, "Next month."_

"The surgery went well but her recovery took a long time. It took a month to heal the wound and nearly a year for therapy," Ringo sighed and Aine frowned. He knew where this was going. Haruka too clearly remembers this one, her waking up in the hospital and taking medicine which she thought only made her condition even worse. Her only good memories about the experience were the blue asters mixed with pink evening primroses on the flower vase across her room. It made her feel at ease. The nurses never told her where they came from though, or so she remembers.

" _Ruka, Mom asks what kind flowers you prefer, she wants to give you some to at least show some support. She also wants you to get better you know," Aine stated, sitting at the edge of her bed. He pushed her bangs away from her face and halted when they reached her cheeks. She had her eyes closed as she breathed shallow through the oxygen mask on her face. She was listening and Aine knew. He could still see that her condition was getting worse every single day. Her surgery was already tomorrow and he wanted to give her confidence as much as possible because knowing Haruka, she'll be worried about herself._

 _He sadly smiled when she didn't reply, "Blue Asters and Primroses, like usual?" Aine could see her silently nod and he hummed. When they were young, during that time in summer, she once said that he reminded her of primroses, wild, reckless, desperate yet sweet, gentle and kind. He debated that the flower was too 'girly' for him but all she did was chuckle. In the end, Aine admitted defeat because just like what the Primrose says, he cannot imagine what it would be like without Haruka._

 _He tried to find something similar to her in return and he thought of Blue Asters. She was rare, a wild flower in a bouquet of roses. She was patient, loving, forgiving and fragile. She was easy to break yet also easy to fix through mistakes, she was one of a kind and Aine liked her for that._

 _Their conversation ended up with both of them laughing saying that the flower they resembled had the color of the other person's hair and that they should switch places for it to match. It was invalid though, they both knew that they won't be able to resemble each other because they both held each of their unique aspects._

"During that time, Haru-chan was still a student in Saotome Academy along with Aine-kun. You two were chosen to debut, him as an idol and her as a composer, it could've went well but because Shining thought that Haru-chan's recovery took a long time, he suggested that Aine-kun should sing someone else's songs and replace her," the teacher added, his tone becoming more grim. Haruka remained silent, listening to everything he was saying.

"Aine didn't have a choice," everyone could see Hakase shaking his head.

" _I'm sorry Ruka," he was sitting on a chair, holding her hand in both of hers. It was as if he was praying, he had his head hung low and tears trickled down his face. It was completely out of character for Aine to sob but he didn't stop and repeated his words as if it was a chant over and over again. Haruka was on the hospital bed looking out of the window, not minding his words, not even a bit._

 _It was painful._

 _She thought they were going to debut together._

"He debuted with another composer and he became busy for a while. Haru-chan, you were still fine after he told you but after the surgery, while you were still recovering, he visited you again but the company stopped him. It was dangerous for an idol to visit public places, they could be involved in scandals. With Aine being new, Shining was afraid that he'll have a bad reputation with the people," Ringo stood up from his seat and placed his hand was on Haruka's shoulder. Aine looked at him, vexed, as if asking why he was reminding him of these things. The teacher shook his head.

 _Aine could still remember the cold winter wind brushing against his skin, the freezing water of the sea under the tips of his feet. The season was already half-way throughout winter and soon, it would be spring. A melancholic smile crept up his face as walked deeper towards the water. Soon it reached his neck and before he knew it, everything was dark._

 _Haruka could remember her grandmother telling her everything. Her friend was in coma because of hypothermia and her crying her eyes out, trying to convince the doctors to let her out of the hospital for a couple of minutes just to see him. Aine was admitted to a lower hospital which didn't tend to high cases like Haruka's, it was still in the city and not too far away but no one would allow her._

 _That night, she had a seizure and was so sure that the hospital walls have heard more prayers than those in churches._

"Haru-chan, you didn't take the news well and had a convulsion, you lost your memories because of respiratory distress," it looked like Ringo was hesitant to say things. He closed his eyes painfully, not wanting to see the pained expression on Aine's face. He was so sure that the former idol has figured everything out by now. "That's why you don't remember anything about Aine," his mouth tasted bitter and Hakase silently leaned against the wall, looking somewhere else when the silence came.

"So you're saying she has amnesia?" Aine's voice was shaking. His hands were gripping on the sheets, hard. "How long was I asleep?" his reaction would depend on Ringo's answer, if it was just a couple of days or months, he would be fine even if Haruka had amnesia. He could just create new memories with her and remind her of everything over the week. What worried him was that if he took years because if he did, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

"Four years," Hakase answered and in the corner of his eye, he could clearly see Haruka with her head hung low.

Aine gritted his teeth.

Damn it…

He took such a long time.

And he could already feel the storm coming.


	3. The Temperature Drops

**Tempest**

 **Summary:** _Kisaragi Aine has woken up and he's taking back what was originally his. His career, his friends and also Haruka. Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai._

 **Pairings:** _Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai. Slight!Nanami Haruka X STARISH._

 **Warnings:** _Alternate universe, bored STARISH, love triangle and OCC._

 **A/N:** I feel so sad while writing this chapter. It's so hard to express things which I want the story to go by. I tried to make the scenes as 'Ai' as possible, did that sound alright? I dunno, I just feel… sad. Ai is so negative in this chapter and it's mostly him analyzing what his life is worth for. It made him seem like he doesn't trust people I guess… he's confused guys. In the next chapter, Aine is going to find out that he is also replaced by Ai. Another sad chapter, hah. They both have replacement syndrome okay? XD Hope you guys like it though.

 **Disclaimer:** _I do not own Uta no Prince-sama or any of its characters. This story is purely fan made and no profit has been made._

 **Chapter Three: The Temperature Drops**

Cecil stood up from his seat then sat down—crossed his legs over the other, uncrossed then tapped his feet on the floor continuous times. He glanced on the wall clock of the Master Course dorm's living room before commenting, "Hey, it's already eleven, how come Haruka is not back yet with Ringo-sensei?" Syo shook his head, his arms crossed as he glared at the television in front of them with a wrathful one. The electricity line has been fixed about two hours ago and the members of STARISH spent the rest of the day in the living room waiting for their composer to come back.

Otoya worriedly sighed, "She's never this late. Do you think she got lost again or something?" Considering the fact that their friend, Nanami Haruka, was a total certified clumsy person and that it happened often—more than they remember, it was completely possible. "W-What if someone tried to kidnap her?" Well that was also a possibility. There were times the members of Heavens tried to abduct her and the fans tried to squirm their way on her just to know where the members of STARISH are or to get their number.

"A stalker?" the words sounded foreign in Ren's mouth, he was not the persistent type—not when it came to Haruka. Cecil was already on the verge of standing up on his seat and storm out of the room despite the horrible cold weather. It was raining- it still was. That was what made them worried. I mean, they left early this morning! What meeting takes more than twelve hours!? Haruka's meeting it seems.

Natsuki nervously stared at his childhood friend for the first time. Syo was on the couch sitting with his ankle on lap, looking, no, let me rephrase that, _glaring_ at the television with one that could rival Uchiha Sasuke's Sharigan. His hands were also on the same position as the ninja's—it seems. The taller male has never seen the blonde like this before and he assumed that it's all because of too much manga. You know the habit that Syo has? PSP, Video games, Prince of Fighting, anime and manga—all in one, you mention it. Heck, in one of the interviews he said that he looked up to the seiyuu Sawashiro Miyuki because apparently, she has the same voice as their beloved composer.

Masato sighed, not being able to take the heavy atmosphere any longer, "Should I call her?" His phone was already out of his pocket, his hands sliding on the screen, unlocking the password which seemed to be in the shape of N. Ren chuckled having theories—it could be because of their composer Nanami. There is no one else whose initial is N aside from Natsuki and Nanami after all. Knowing Masato, he would never base anything on Shinomiya, it would be shocking to all of them. Everyone knew that he had a secret crush on their composer anyway.

Otoya owlishly blinked, "Nanami has a phone?" For the first time in three years of their team being together, this was the first time he has heard that their composer had a phone. He didn't bother asking her number back in the academy two years ago because they were always together and they could just discuss things in the master course dorms. That was his excuse. Basically, he was just too shy to ask. I mean what if Haruka finds him creepy and weird? What if she asks if he's a stalker? It would be the end of his life by then.

Ren smirked at the innocent red head, "Of course, we need to hear the lady's voice every now and then when were busy." Syo thought that the playboy was gloating and he growled at him, not pleased. Though most of them had the maiden's number, they didn't call her often because they thought that she'd always be busy composing, an exception for Cecil who messages and calls Haruka in every free time he has.

Otoya complained being unaware of Haruka's number while Masato searched for Haruka's number in his phone's contacts. He pressed a couple of buttons and the screen changed, he brought the phone near his ear only to be stopped by Syo who literally took the device away from Masato and placed it on the table, pressing speaker mode. Then, everyone waited with silence and bated breaths, hoping for their composer to pick up.

 _Saa, Let's song! Yume wo utaou (Let's shout!)_

The members of STARISH almost swooned at the ring tone. They were sending each other glances and smiles that looked satisfied. For once they didn't mind someone to not pick up the phone, it didn't matter. It would be better if she didn't because they're totally a mess right now and they'd have no idea how to react once she answers. Heck, Syo was kicking the floor while Otoya's fingers curled in joy.

One didn't seem so happy about it though. "I was not included in the song," Cecil commented, crestfallen. It made him seem like a kitten which got drenched in the rain but still, no one cared. They were too busy getting excited on their own song.

 _Sora ni utaou (Let's go!) Hajikeru monogatari ni shichaimashou!_

By the second line everyone was already riding on the beat, lip-syncing, slightly nodding their heads and humming. Cecil still looked sad while the boys had smiles brighter than unicorns and rainbows.

How long till Haruka picks up?

 _Mirai no chizu wo (Yes x2) Kimi to egakou-_

" _ **Hello?"**_ the voice clearly belonged to Nanami Haruka, their composer. The members of STARISH looked at one another, wondering who should answer. Heck, there are too many prideful members who wanted to talk to her. Some just remained silent, her voice sending shivers down their spine. God, their level of attraction to her is over the limit. They might as well form a fan club with just the seven of them- do not include the senpai-tachi because they'll bring chaos and ruin and unluckiness and they will spoil Haruka's innocent mind with grime of the adult world. They were advancing too fast! They heard that Reiji kissed Haruka's hand last week! Ren almost scoffed, that was his job! And all four had her number when Otoya took three years to know!

"Nanami-san," it was Tokiya who answered in the midst of chaos. Everyone immediately became silent, having no complaints because it was Tokiya and you don't mess with Tokiya. His singing is good, his dancing is good and his acting his good. All is too good that you can't bitch about it like Ai's skills. Heck, he also looks good when he wakes up.

" _ **Ahh, Ichinose-san,"**_ everyone wished that they were the one who answered. Imagine her angelic voice saying your name like summer in the midst of all this rainy season, Natsuki's eyes almost watered. Tokiya paused and looked at the others for a second, thinking of an answer—all he got in return were looks that obviously… weren't good. They were all pushing him saying things like 'Don't make the lady wait'.

Sighing, he voiced out all of their concern in one question, "Will you be coming home tonight Nanami-san? Everyone is worried because you don't usually go back in this hour." Everyone waited for an answer and all they heard was shuffling on the other line as if Haruka was in a rush then a few more inaudible sentences—perhaps Haruka was covering her phone for the other line not to hear and swift footsteps.

" _ **Y-Yes, I will be back,"**_ her voice sounded tired and her breath was short- was she running? They heard a car's door shut, the engine's vibration even heard by the other line. _**"W-What were you guys doing up this late?"**_ she asked out of concern and surprise, she didn't imagine the members of STARISH to question her alibi.

"Like Tokiya said, we were worried," Cecil voiced out his concern earning an apologetic sigh from the other line. "Where are you Haruka? How long will it take you to arrive?" he was getting impatient for the first time. Their composer has never acted this way before and knowing that she was to compose for another idol, they can't accept the fact that he's keeping her up to this hour. It's like that person's hogging her all to himself!

" _ **I-I'll be there in about twenty minutes,"**_ Haruka replied, trying to ease the boys a bit. Knowing their personalities, they'll be up and waiting for her like that time during Christmas. _**"I'm with Ringo-sensei so no need to get worried,"**_ she added on and hopefully, she succeeded in earning their trust. Finally, the members of STARISH sighed out of relief. She didn't get in any kind of trouble and their teacher was with her, nothing could go wrong right?

" _ **We just finished some business in the hospital and were already done,"**_ And here comes the naïve part of Nanami Haruka. Sure she just answered the Prince's question but that certainly did not lessen their anxiety, moreover, looks like it just rose to the highest level, even higher than before. Almost automatically, the members of STARISH gapped, their eyes widening at each other's. What was she doing in the hospital!?

"W-Why were you at the hospital Nanami? What's wrong? We thought that you were meeting up with an idol you were supposed to compose for," Syo who was oh so familiar with hospitals fretfully asked. Three years ago he took the heart transplant with the support of his friends and Haruka. This time, it's his turn to look out for them.

" _ **W-Well something happened and—I'll tell you guys when we arrive there, okay?"**_ her voice sounded pleading to them, as if asking to drop the topic. The boys shared worried glances to each other before making a decision. Well, if Haruka was going to tell them what happened later then might as well just wait rather than making assumptions which might be incorrect. Yes, they might be better off that way. That idea seemed much more logical rather than acting on instinct.

Syo nodded unconsciously before he voiced out, "O-Okay, we get it. Be careful on your way home Nanami." Still, he was not able to hide his concern. Heck, he calls himself an actor. He bid his goodbye to their composer along with the others who technically tried to steal the phone and give their farewell. He hung up and everyone melted on their seats, silent. It was already a little past eleven and she was going to be back in about twenty minutes. No matter what happens, they're going to wait.

The blonde turned his attention back to the television before they heard footsteps. Natsuki rose from his seat turning around, eager to see if she was already back. Not a couple of minutes have passed since their conversation but still, he was hoping, "Haru-chan you're back-"He frowned and the most cheerful of the bunch who just came blinked. Natsuki childishly sighed slumping on his chair after he greeted the four. The others on the other hand remained silent.

Reiji blinked once, then twice, "What's up with you kohai-tachi? Why are you still up and lacking spirit?" He seemed as high as ever, just like how he acted the last time they saw each other. "Ah, don't tell me you're waiting for someone?" It was a line supposed to tease the boys like usual but no, not this time. He slightly frowned when he didn't receive an answer and only saw the looks on their faces. Heck, Cecil looked like he was about to pass out.

"You peasants, where is your composer? Wasn't she supposed to be with Mikaze to compose a new song? She's skipping her duties," Camus commented almost rudely, receiving glares from the boys. In return, he didn't bat an eyelash. He was too sophisticated for their likes. "And off to bed you guys go, its curfew and you have a schedule to comply for tomorrow," he tried to persuade the guys but they were too hardheaded. They. Were. Going. To. Wait. For. Haruka.

"Nanami is not back yet and we are waiting for her. She said that she'll be here in twenty minutes," It was Masato who spoke up for the group. "She was assigned to a new idol and we are worried because look at the time," well it was not exactly a lie, they wanted to know who the special person was. STARISH was a seven person group yet not once have they kept Haruka up till midnight jut for a meeting.

"A new idol?" Reiji tried to interrogate the younger idols who just shrugged their shoulders, it seemed like they also had no idea who it was. "What about Ai? Wasn't Haru-chan also composing for him?" the android beside him remained silent and observed the situation. He has never heard of a composer making multiple songs for two people at the same time. Wasn't that going to lower the quality of her work?

The ever so bored members of STARISH smirked as if they knew what Reiji was thinking. "STARISH is a seven member group. Composing for two people is a piece of cake for Haru-chan," Natsuki replied with a smile on his face making his teammates grin. That was one of the reasons they were so proud of their composer. She was talented. For her music comes and goes as if it was air. She has an endless number of ideas in her head.

Ranmaru scoffed, the members of STARISH had too much confidence on their composer. Sure she had the skills to create songs that top charts for consecutive weeks but he's certain that it's not like that all the time. That Nanami Haruka had a weakness. He doesn't care though. "The deadline of our song is by the end of the week. Surely she'll manage," Ai added, sarcastically which made the heterochromia deride. Camus smirked while Reiji was the only one frowning out of the four. They were being so mean and negative to their beloved kohai! Should they, as her upperclassmen, be supportive?

"I bet the President is making her compose for some rookie idol with has no composer," Camus said, earning glares from the members of STARISH. If that was the case then wouldn't that be… permanent? "For that person's upcoming debut concert, if he is new. It would be worthless for her to compose for other idols other than Quartet Night and STARISH," he concluded making Reiji sigh. Remind him why he got such cold blooded reptiles as his teammates again? It was as if he was a hamster in a bunch of snakes.

"Well I'm not so sure about that," a familiar voice replied and everyone turned around to see who it was.

"Ringo-sensei!" everyone exclaimed, some differed as they called the teacher with another nickname. The rest remained cool and calm, silent as they'll ever be while Ringo and Haruka walked into the room. Then, the members of STARISH stood from their seats, immediately rushing to greet the two. Their upperclassmen on the other hand, remained on their positions, unmoving but still looking at the bunch.

"Don't you have anything to tell us Haruka?" Cecil had his arms crossed against one another on his chest, a finger restlessly tapping. The composer awkwardly blinked when the Prince's statement was followed by a dozen from the members of STARISH. Heck, they wouldn't even let her speak with all the questions they were asking her. Not that she can blame them though. They were worried… and bored…

The maiden gave her adviser an SOS sign, her eyes pleading for help. Her teacher chuckled before faking a cough, turning all the attention to him, bringing silence for once. "Haru-chan and I just got back from a meeting, we're exhausted, please ask your questions one at a time," he spoke to them as if it was a lesson, as if they were inside a classroom. He walked towards the couch to take a seat along the way, to be followed by Haruka and the others because knowing the members of STARISH this was going to be long. And they won't accept just an explanation. They would most likely ask for the back story as well.

"So, who's the lucky guy little lamb?" Ren asked resting his chin on his knuckles as he leaned on the seat's arms. Masato, Syo and Natsuki were in between them, all five of them on the same sofa because knowing the guy, they concluded that he wanted as much contact as possible. "I should tell him to not keep a lady up this late. At least he should've escorted you and Rin-chan, nee?" There it was, the low baritone that made his voice alluring and tempting. The lady blushed before she turned her gaze away from him. He chuckled at her reaction in return while those- Tokiya, Cecil and Otoya, who were seated on another sofa, in front of them, raised a brow at the scene.

Ringo shook his head sighing. His former students sure are a handful. Not that they haven't been during their days in the academy. "Looks like you got competition then Ren. The guy who seems to have kept Haru-chan up this late is none other than Kisaragi Aine," as if planned, one by one everyone's eyes widened most especially Kotobuki Reiji and Mikaze Ai's. It was not like they needed to hide that or anything, they were going to know sooner or later. And the sooner the better, less explanations are needed, less drama and less questions.

"And he's a childhood friend of your composer," Ringo winked at the end, obviously teasing the guys. Haruka sighed when she felt the number of gazes turned on her. The members of STARISH were on their guard and more than a couple of people needed answers. Ai on the other hand, froze.

"Wasn't he supposed to be in coma?" for once, though his voice seemed as frosty as ever, his tone differed. It was louder, he spoke faster as if he was demanding pace. Everyone looked at him except for Haruka and Ringo who knew everything from the start. Out of all questions… why ask that first? "Why is it that he's going to sing again?" It was back, his voice reverted to being robotic and serene, expression as unreadable as ever. He looked straight, frigid hands clenched.

" _Does the camera vision work well? Are the circuits overheating or is it adequate?" For Ai, the moment he opened his eyes, his data told him that he was different. The Professor's hands which worked on him were warm and his were cold, metallic and empty. He had no vessel, no heart, just a system that keeps him going. "Perhaps we could also upgrade your memory bank, then we can work into your speakers and chords," by then, his emotions were synthetic. His eyes looked dead, he was not complete. Yet there was that person in front of him… talking as if he was real._

 _He would have replied to inform the professor what was wrong with his structure but he couldn't. He was not modified to speak yet, he had to wait. "It won't take too long to perfect you. Probably a few more weeks, give or take a few days," the Professor told him, his hands not stopping while he worked. He kept adding mechanism to Ai's neck, his skin open as if it there was a lid. Ai remained silent. The Professor told him stories these few months he had been working on him, some related to him, some completely irrelevant to his work. He had them in his data nonetheless._

 _Shining Saotome had asked the Professor to create an artificial idol, an android. It was fine if it was devoid of emotions as long as its range and voice was perfect. He would be assigned in a unit so that others would be able to cover his flaw, the fact that he would never be able to feel, that he would never be able to sing songs with emotion. He was supposed to be a tool, just an object to be manipulated, he just needed to sing but before he knew it-_

" _You look just like my nephew Aine,"_

 _-He had become someone's replacement._

 _His system processed a new word. Mediocrity? The way he smiled, spoke and laughed, it seemed so below average. He looked so contented… with a fake like him. Humans were supposed to be selfish. They were supposed to want everything they want. Looking at the man's bliss, he paused and his system loaded._

 _His nephew must be dead._

 _Was this what they called self-hypnotism? Convincing yourself that one is still alive and breathing in order to lessen depression? Split personality? A lot of words began to activate in his system that it became the oxygen he breathed. Perhaps it was because he looked a lot like 'Aine'? At first he didn't really care if he was a replacement or not, he was made to oblige and sing. He does not have a choice. He does not have the luxury of being human and having emotions. He was a robot and his story would be painless. As long as he finishes his task, he would be fine…_

" _ **You will be fine," Haruka's hands brushed on his knuckles.**_

 _It was funny how he was supposed to be devoid of emotion yet one sentence could make him waver. He was becoming weak and as he searched for an answer, he wished that it was not one of those things that made humans fragile. His system was adapting, he was learning emotions… and it was the worst case for a robot to go through. Getting attached to someone._

 _It was that time he was testing on the rain when all of a sudden, his system malfunctioned. He was overheating because of pressure, he was on too long and he has not charged his system. He could still remember the members of STARISH and Haruka taking care of him, finding out that he was an android but still… not caring about anything. Did they just accept his presence? His data says that the expected emotion he would receive would be 94.67% rage, the rest confusion and sadness. So why… why are they not getting mad? Could they have already known? No. This was a top secret._

 _Forged forgiveness? Love? Attachment? He did not need them yet he kept questioning his reliable data source which proved to be more sufficient and accurate than human knowledge. It was artificial intelligence, the very same reason why his name is Ai. Sounds similar to that person huh?_

 _Grief? Desolation? Sadness?_

 _-Who would have thought that he hated being a replacement._

 _Was it alright for a robot to hate its creator? He always asked why his hair was cyan. Why his eyes matched the shade. Why are his features so similar to his? Was it because the Professor yearned for Aine to wake up again? Filial piety? He was identical to Aine and all that was different was his voice… it was his only special function, yet he could not speak for himself. He is not free and will never be. It was like his music was an extension of his acting, treating the songs like scenes that tell a story… which was also similar to his._

 _Fear? Perturbation? Anxiety?_

 _-He wondered what it was like to see through genuine eyes. To feel, to speak, to hear… to laugh._

 _To be someone different._

 _But still, he was a robot. Stop dreaming on. It will never happen._

"He just woke up this morning. Looks like our dearest princess' touch woke him up. Touché," the teacher's voice sounded cheerful and Ai couldn't help but feel offended. He silently gritted his teeth. Ringo knew of his case, why was he happy? Did he also want Aine back? He stared and became silent when Haruka started telling stories and explaining what happened at the hospital.

She had amnesia? She forgot him?

He wanted to scoff. How cliché.

Perhaps she would also want to be by his side? Support him and in the end up together? As expected, Haruka was also forging her emotions towards him. His system raged and he was on the verge of overheating. He placed a hand over his chest, the very same place where humans have a heart and where robots are empty. His system needed to calm down, process things more slowly.

"But Nanami and I are also working for a song that needs to be submitted by the end of the week," he added. Haruka stared along with the others…. He sounded so… desperate.

Did he want to be acknowledged? Want Haruka to look at him the same way?

He felt tired and… uneasy?

Hah. So this was what it felt like to be replaced. Well not really, he could not feel anyway. It was completely unnecessary. But for some reason-

"I want to go with you guys when you visit him again next week," Ai stated, voice wavering and hands shivering. Haruka stared, eyes slightly wider than usual before she smiled.

-he wanted to cling to the last ray of sunshine that showed itself to him.

 _And all of a sudden he felt really tired._

 _Like the world had drained him_

 _For everything that_

 _he had._

His system calmed down and returned to its calm state- cold metal and freezing parts.

He was and is a robot.

And that's it.


	4. Cold Wind Blows

**Tempest**

 **Summary:** _Kisaragi Aine has woken up and he's taking back what was originally his. His career, his friends and also Haruka. Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai._

 **Pairings:** _Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai. Slight!Nanami Haruka X STARISH._

 **Warnings:** _Alternate universe, bored STARISH, love triangle and OCC._

 **A/N:** Kami, I completely forgot this because of another story. Well, if some of you have read 'Antithesis', another UtaPri fic that I write, you'll understand why. That fic is very, very, very long and time consuming. Ugh, I just don't want to publish chapters that I'm not satisfied of so please understand why I take so long. Well there's also that issue of procrastinating so yeah… By the way, the chapters here and onward are going to be shorter because the previous ones were flashbacks and were much more important that's why they were longer. From now on will be shorter stories but more fluent updates.

Also, forgive me for making Aine such a bastard here. Some of you might understand why and some might not. He's a rather mysterious character and I don't know how he acts because he wasn't really in the anime and he was just mentioned in the game. Please remember that everything in this chapter happens for a reason though.

 **Disclaimer:** _I do not own Uta no Prince-sama or any of its characters. This story is purely fan made and no profit has been made._

 _ **Chapter Four: Cold Wind Blows**_

For some reason, Haruka found herself standing in front of his hospital room again. They just met yesterday and her teacher had already been insisting for her to start on their song— and by that, she needed to know him better. That step would have been completely irrelevant if she had remembered her memories, but no, she's amnesiac and she can't help it. Taking a deep breath, her grip on the folder she was holding tightened automatically. Was she nervous? She was always nervous around people but not to this extent. Her heart was beating in an incredibly fast pace and her palms were sweaty. Was this the right choice? Should she just visit another day? She loosely clenched her fist and knocked on the door a couple of times.

There was a suffocating silence for about five seconds before someone inside the room, replied, "It's open, you can enter!" The voice most likely belonged to Aine, it was soft, cheerful and energetic just like the last time she remembers. Taking a deep breath and pursing her lips together in tension, she turned the knob and opened the door shyly. Her eyes peeked on the door's gap and he smiled at her before she took the courage and entered.

"U-Umm," she could see that he was already recovering. The monitor attached to him yesterday was no longer present and the I.V. drips were removed. He was alone in his room, no one to keep him company, perhaps the Professor was busy and the nurses were the ones tending to him. She stared at him, her mind trying to process sentences. What should she say? What should she do? Should she introduce herself— But they met already yesterday. And they're childhood friends.

Aine blinked at her, noticing that she was nervous. His hands paused. He was peeling oranges for himself. How sad but he was bored… and tired, and he wanted to recover fast so oranges… yes, oranges. He still had a variety of fruits on the basket beside his bed though —preferably from Ringo. And did I mention that he was bored? Yes, twice. So that's why he grinned and then playfully frowned at the composer, "How dare you, Haruka." His voice was cold, harsh even. The composer stared, anxious. Did she do something wrong? Was her presence too uncomfortable for him?

"Ruka-chan, I'm supposed to be your osananajimi~!" The maiden blinked. Was Aine… whining? That Aine, Kisaragi Aine who was in coma, bedridden for four years, her childhood friend that she forgot, the one who tried to commit suicide, still had the energy to whine. Ohh, well, that means he's recovering fast and he's fine… she thinks. "And why didn't you visit earlier? Do you know how bored I was?" he popped an orange to his mouth and started to chew. Well at least he's not as depressed as last time. Yesterday, he almost had a panic attack when he found out that Haruka completely forgot about him.

"I'm bored, like really, really, bored,"

"I-I'm sorry," Haruka muttered, not exactly sure what to say as she took a seat on the chair beside his bed. It was only one in the afternoon and the male was bored already, the lady glanced at him while he continued on scolding her. Impulsive, energetic and warm… he was completely different to Mikaze Ai. It was kind of ironic to see how someone could look so similar to her upperclassman yet so different. It was as if staring to a reflection of a completely different someone.

He chuckled at her panicked reaction, "Kufufufu, do not worry about anything my dear. Tsukimiya-sensei had already informed us about your presence." He laughed like a vampire, using the 'royal we' to refer to himself. The composer sighed out of relief, thank goodness the teacher already informed Aine. She didn't really want to visit uninvited. "And Hakase-san had some business to attend to so he won't be able to accompany us today," then his usual, relaxed but still cheerful demeanor returned.

Aine looked at her, leaning on his elbow, his chin on his knuckles as he said, "It's just you and me, Ruka-chan~! Kufufufu, so what shall we do? Want to play with Aine-kun?" The said girl couldn't help but blush a pretty shade of carnation pink, obviously surprised at the male's actions. It was as if Ren and Reiji were in the same body, just with Ai's visuals. "You're the only one here so you need to talk to me non-stop, okay?" he was obviously teasing her because he enjoyed the reactions that she showed. It's as if he never fell into coma and Haruka never lost her memories- The idol frowned. He really didn't want to be reminded of that.

"When are you going to be released Kisaragi-san?" she softly asked and he stilled on his position like ice. It must have been his reflex that he hid it so quickly that the girl didn't even notice. "I-It's just that, it makes me curious and well, y-you don't need to tell me if you don't want to. I don't want to pry in your business or anything at all," the rosette continued with an excuse that didn't really bother Aine. It sounded acceptable and he was more focused on the first statement.

"In two weeks I'll be out of here I guess, or so that's what the doctor says," he replied, a bit cautious. Haruka tilted her head to the side, naïve as ever, not noticing that he was on his guard around her. Obviously, he was hiding something. He sighed, knowing that though as clueless as she was, she needed an answer. She's involved in this anyway, "I'm under suicide watch," he continued, slightly disappointed at himself. At this, the composer held her breath back. She was told that Aine got into an accident. She wasn't informed the details or the events behind that. All she knew was that suicide watch was for individuals who tried to commit suicide. Perhaps, his past was more complicated than she thought it was.

"And you don't remember anything about that," Aine huffed with a crestfallen smile that looked almost a bit apologetic. He glanced at her and grinned as if to assure her that it was fine, that he didn't mind at all. "It's not that important, it's all in the past. Your amnesia is the effect of me being careless anyway. Other than that, Ruka! Let's hang out again when I get released in the hospital. Let's go visit your grandmother!" he held both of her hands in his, looking blissful and excited.

"I wonder what she's doing right now? Ahh! I bet she's playing with Usa-chan! What do you say Ruka? Let's go see her!"

She blinked at him before laughing, "Yes, I would like to."

Aine smiled back at her before flopping back to his bed and complaining, "This sucks! You forgot everything, that's no fun. Which memories did you forget? You don't even remember a little bit? Not even a teeny tiny bit of your past?" He made signs with his hands and she shook her head with a frown. "Well, you forgot your memories. You're... not scared of me at all? Tell me everything that happened to you these past four years, I need to catch up! D-Do you have a boyfriend now? Please tell me that you don't," it was obvious how he tried to change the subject. From how he was hospitalized to those which were completely different. Haruka noticed but decided to leave it at that.

"E-Ehh?"

He inched a bit closer and mustered the most serious expression he could, "Are. You. Dating. Someone?"

Haruka's cheeks turned pink before she hurriedly shook her head, "N-No, work comes first. I wouldn't be able to create decent songs if my head is filled with o-other things. No one likes me anyway. I never received a confession before." Aine's eyes silently twitched a bit when he saw her shyly fidgeting on her seat. This girl, yes, she was definitely popular. He even bets his whole fruit basket that she has a dozen of guys tailing behind her. That obliviousness, that visual, that talent and personality, who would dare to defile and confess? "A-And… dating in the company is not allowed," she added on.

Aine blinked, "You're working?"

"Y-Yes, I'm in Shining Entertainment composing for STARISH. Was Ringo-sensei unable to inform Kisaragi-san?" she was unable to see how grim his eyes turned. The male silently clenched his fists as he listened to her explain. Idols? Continuing the academy? UtaPri award? "Ohh and I'm here to know you better. I have to know your personality and such so that I can compose a song which is suitable for you— that is if it's not too much trouble. I-I'm really sorry if I'm bothering you," she was genuinely flustered and Aine gritted his teeth.

"Haruka you're still in Shining?"

She blinked at that, "Isn't Kisaragi-san also in the same company? Shining-san assigned me to create a song for your comeback." His eyes slightly widened at her statement. Yes, he was not able to resign or quit but he was on hiatus for years. The two of them were separated because of the company. The original plan was to debut together. They were the ones who refused to let her see him which led to her amnesia case. They were also the ones who pushed him to the brink of suicide. All this time, he thought that Ringo and Haruka were visiting him because they were good friends. His heart thumped grimly at the thought.

"M-My comeback?"

"Yes, aren't you going to go back on stage?"

Aine's eyes opened to speak but he closed them into a thin line and his eyes darkened before he said, "No, I'm not going back to the stage for Shining. I'm going to quit that company and I don't want to be an idol anymore." The composer's eyes widened and turned to him to ask why. The male simply narrowed his eyes at her while saying, "Don't you remember what they did to us, Haruka? They're the reason why I'm here! They're the reason why you don't remember me! They're the ones who got us in this mess."

"B-But… ano… I think that they didn't really want that to happen to us. Shining-san cares for the company's idols very well—"

"And what about you? If I remember clearly, four years ago he cut you off from his own company. Haruka, we were supposed to debut together! Doesn't that say something? He just wants us back because were the only good choices left,"

"K-Kisaragi-san, Shining-san is not like that—"

"No, I'm not going back to the company and I'm not singing. You're composing for other guys, aren't you? Shining is not the only problem here, it's you, Haruka," he looked at her with cyan orbs that almost brimmed with tears. She could feel her chest throb in pain as she stared at Aine's expression. Was that hate? Disappointment? Regret? She doesn't know anything at all. "I won't go back. Being an idol is not my dream anymore," he turned his head and avoided her gaze. The composer looked down at his silhouette and tried to swallow her upcoming tears.

" _Ai-kun! What did you write on your essay? What did you want to become?" a young Haruka asked as she turned around from her seat to face him. The boy simply groaned as he stared at the blank piece of essay paper on his table. Seven year olds were supposed to be filled with dreams and ambitions, not barren and deserted so when she saw that he hasn't written anything yet, she panicked. "T-The deadline is tomorrow, Ai-kun. S-Sensei asked us to prepare because we're going to read it in front of the whole class right?"_

 _Aine crossed his arms above his chest and glared at the piece of paper before turning towards the girl with a smile on his face and saying, "Ruka, its fine. I'm just going to have to copy something from google later." Ahh, the perks of having a professor as your uncle, Haruka wasn't really sure about that so she sweat dropped at the idea. "What did you write anyway?" he asked her and she lit up like Christmas just came early. Haruka immediately grabbed her paper from her desk and placed it on his to explain._

" _I want to be a composer! O-One day, Hayato-sama might sing the songs that I make," she exclaimed in a rather excited manner. Aine stared at the paper and raised a brow. Composer? She was planning to composer for that child star actor turning into an idol person? Well Hayato acted good in 'Prince Chronicles' and is good looking and sings good and is basically perfect and is popular and is talented— Aine scoffed at how Haruka's essay was filled with remarks about how good Hayato was._

" _I'm completely better than him," well Aine was not half bad too. He received a couple of confession letters from girls each month which he would gladly show to Haruka to make her jealous but it would backfire because she would just congratulate him. He was also smart. He was on the top of their class and leaded with a two point mark from second place. He also sang and acted well, he was in the Dramatics Club in Kindergarten for Kami's sake. Well it was not really a club. It was more of a playground group for children who were usually bored kids like him and Haruka who just tags along._

" _I made up my mind. I want to become an idol,"_

— _Better, completely better than him._

Haruka's head throbbed and Aine looked at her worriedly before he placed a hand on her shoulder, "R-Ruka, are you okay? Do you want me to call someone?" Silly, he was the one sitting on the hospital bed. He was the patient, not her. But she has always been sickly before so it kind of worried him. "You look pale and your hands are cold," he commented when his hands came in contact with hers. Haruka shook her head and smiled at her to show that she was okay.

" _Haruka, I wanted to become one just to follow you,"_

"You can't quit being an idol, Kisaragi-san. W-What about your fans?" she looked up at him with pleading eyes and he stared at her with shock. Haruka has never been confident in speaking before, especially to him who was just a stranger in her eyes now that she had forgotten her memories. "You can't quit just because of Shining-san. There are people who want to hear you sing again!" she exclaimed and Aine's gaze remained at her, astonished by her remarks. But you know he wasn't going to give in.

"No, I'm not going back," his hands turned into fists that curled the blankets on his hospital bed. "I'm not going to go back just to sing. Not in that company. Not with Shining and those guys you're talking about!" Haruka's eyes widened and she unconsciously twitched. Aine was being scary right now with the way he talked. Was that hate? Jealousy? It wasn't the first time she saw those expressions before but his was definitely genuine.

"You promised me Haruka, you freaking promised!" the composer was able to see how tears rolled from his eyes to his cheeks and chin. Perhaps being asleep for four years and waking up to see that everything was different was too much to handle for someone even as strong as Aine. "Seeing you move on and forget things just prove that you don't care," he was baffled by his own words. He knew that it couldn't be helped because she had amnesia and no one bothered to tell her. It was still painful though. To see that he was the only one suffering and that after one incident she already recovered.

Haruka looked at him in silence with her eyes also slightly circled in tears, "One of… one of the idols I compose for are coming here to visit you next week." Aine scoffed at that while he wiped his tears away with his elbows. That was the last visit he wanted to receive. Kami, he hated the guys Haruka composed for. "What was the promise about?" Aine's heart dropped but he gave a rather sarcastic grin. Kami, he was acting like an insensitive jerk.

" _Ai-kun, you're not allowed to sing for anyone else just like how I can't compose for others," Haruka smiled at him from the playground and he laughed at her while nodding. They were still children, twelve years old and perhaps next year they'd be entering Shining Academy as child stars and composers. "You can't break the promise okay? " She was the one to initiate everything and to see her forget, it was heart breaking._

"That you won't compose for others and that I won't sing songs that are composed by anyone but you,"

"Do you want me to keep it then?" Aine paused at her question and he frowned at himself. Kami, he's insensitive and add greedy to that. But he didn't care, he was first on line and STARISH were just second comers so yes, he nodded. Was it wrong to keep Haruka all to himself? He knew that she wanted to keep her promises. He knew that she was kind, too kind. But he's not and he wants her to look at only him.

Haruka nodded rather hesitantly before saying, "I-I'll call Shining and tell him."


	5. The First Snowfall

**Tempest**

 **Summary:** _Kisaragi Aine has woken up and he's taking back what was originally his. His career, his friends and also Haruka. Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai._

 **Pairings:** _Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai. Slight!Nanami Haruka X STARISH._

 **Warnings:** _Alternate universe, bored STARISH, love triangle and OCC._

 **A/N:** Okay so do you guys see that bar over there? That bar on the side? See how short it is and how fast you reach the last part when you drag it down? Yes that's because this chapter is shorter. I made it shorter so that I can update faster. Some of you might get mad in this chapter but this is all for the sake of the story, it'll develop more so don't worry.

 **Disclaimer:** _I do not own Uta no Prince-sama or any of its characters. This story is purely fan made and no profit has been made._

 **Chapter Five: The First Snowfall**

The members of STARISH ran as fast as they could until they reached the largest door there was in the master course dorms, Shining Saotome's office. Syo who was the fastest to arrive did not even hesitate to open the door creating a loud noise while the other boys trailed behind him. His upperclassmen, the members of Quartet Night stared at him with startled looks on their faces as he entered the room along with his colleagues. Shining was there on his seat with Ringo and Hyuuga standing beside him on both sides.

"What the fuck is this bullshit about!?" for once, Tokiya didn't even bother to correct Syo's foul language compared to as usual. They were just standing behind the blonde, slightly huffing as they let him voice their complaints for them. Even Cecil who knew of Haruka's loyalty to STARISH didn't expect this to happen. "What do you mean by 'STARISH is getting a new composer'? Nanami is not going to quit composing!" he exclaimed rather loudly and Shining just grinned from his seat. The upperclassmen were baffled and Camus even shook his head in dismay.

"Has there been any problem?" the calmest of the bunch, Masato asked because the others were too deep in confusion. Perhaps Haruka's compositions have not reached Shining's tastes unlike before but he doubts that that's even the case. That would even be the last thing he would dare to consider, the songs she made were perfect and were gaining popularity pretty well. "We think that changing composers are completely unnecessary," during that time there were dozens of questions in his head. There weren't other reasons as to why their assigned song maker would change. It would either be that of she got fired, she's lost her inspiration too long or she broke the rules.

Well there was only one rule in Shining agency.

Masato silently clenched his hands into fists. He sure hoped that wasn't the case.

"It was a direct request from Miss Nanami," the President grinned and said the sentence in his usual sing song voice. All eyes turned on him looking shocked except for Ringo who painfully closed his eyes and Hyuuga who sighed. Everyone was dazed at the moment, not exactly processing what their boss has said. It was slightly offending, they were sure that Haruka would not make such haste decisions without discussing the problem.

"W-What?" it was only Tokiya who seemed sane in the midst of the group. Heck, Syo was trying his best to stay calm but he looked like he was half ready to hyperventilate. "What did Nanami-san say?" being the actor he was he easily regained his composure as usual. He didn't even bother asking if Shining was saying the truth or not because he knew for a fact that the President would never lie to them. He was calm and collected unlike Otoya in the background who was starting to mumble incoherent sentences.

"I don't believe you. That would be the last thing the lady would do," yes, Ren did have a point. Quitting would be the last thing Haruka would have done and discussing it with them would be a first so they didn't understand. Their thoughts were clouded and nothing was clear. "I'm sure that there's more behind this," for once everyone was thinking the logical way because this has to be some kind of joke and if it was, it was a very bad one.

Ringo shook his head before placing a folder on the table, "There's her transfer letter." He felt bad that although he knew why, he wouldn't be able to tell the boys. It was not his place and they needed to fix it themselves. Plus, Haruka already made her mind and when she did, she never goes back. "Written and signed by her, take a look if you want to," it sounded like a challenge to the members of STARISH but it wasn't really one. Some of them groaned turning their backs while their upperclassmen merely observed.

No way. There was no way in hell this was happening.

Ai was the first person to walk towards the desk and open the folder. The letter itself was typewritten but the signature was genuine, there was no doubt it belonged to Haruka. "It's her authentic signature," perhaps some would have thought that he didn't care but he did. If you looked closely, you'd be able to see how the corner of his mouth turned upside down and how his irises somehow narrowed. "What about the song she was supposed to make for me?" he sounded like a kid craving for attention and his teammates had never seen him like that before. Reiji somehow raised his eyebrows while Ranmaru and Camus turned their eyes on him.

"Were going to find someone who can create one for you, there are a lot of good composers graduating from the academy this year," Shining Saotome grinned looking at every idol in the room as if to say something. Syo turned his back and walked out the door along with Cecil and Otoya who didn't want anyone else other than Haruka. Of course everyone didn't want another composer but they needed to remain rational, they were professionals not amateurs. And veterans don't complain no matter what.

"You're not going to replace Nanami-san with a beginner," Tokiya knew that it was a bad idea. Haruka was pure talent, she could tell the notes by hearing them and learned how to read music overnight. No one could compare, a world-class composer would not stand a chance because if Haruka only composed for one person instead of seven, it wouldn't even take years for that idol to reach the international stage after debut.

But wait… transfer letter? Ranmaru narrowed his eyes, "Tsk… you mentioned she wanted to transfer. Who did she want to compose for?" The remaining members of STARISH, those who actually remained in the room to listen felt their heart somehow drop at the realization. Haruka… she was replacing them with someone else? "That means she's not actually leaving is she?" Shining grinned at him and the Reiji sighed in relief. Haruka was not their composer but there were times she was assigned to make songs for them because they didn't have a designated song writer. STARISH would have a new one so that meant they wouldn't be able to have any contact with her aside from personal ones.

"Reiji, you know him well," Hyuga had his hands inside his pockets, trying to look calm and collected. He knew that the idol would not be able to handle the message very well. All of them knew that he was back but how would they react when they know that she actually wanted to compose for him? "Kisaragi Aine," they all flinched at the name. They have heard of the former idol's talent and how his story went, they don't know how it concerned Haruka though.

Immediately, as if automatic, Ai and the members of STARISH hated him.

On the other side of the city, Haruka and Aine were on the hospital's rooftop. She was sitting on a bench while he was standing up, looking at the sky tinted in portland fading unto amber towards the edge where the sky and the sea met with each other. It was winter and the season felt cold but it wasn't too much. The term just barely started so there was no need to bundle up in thick coats and wooly sweaters. When the north wind came and brushed Aine's locks, he felt a chill run down his spine but he smiled. He was getting out of the hospital today after two weeks of being monitored and confined.

"Everything looks so different," he didn't know how much things could change after four years. If he remembered correctly, the last time he scanned those streets those shops were not yet present. "I've missed a lot of things," he turned to look at Haruka who was smiling at him with that gentle smile, the one thing he could still remember that hasn't changed a bit.

He sadly smiled back at her before walking towards the elevated edge. Normally patients are not allowed in the rooftop but since he was already leaving the hospital, it was fine. Haruka who was watching him had her eyes widen and she stood up from her seat when he stood at the brink of the building, the only thing keeping him from falling is the long metal rail which was at his waist level.

"K-Kisaragi-san, what are you doing?" she walked towards him and paused when he was about a meter away, afraid that he'll jump off. She's never been in this situation before. Well there was that one time she almost fell off but Syo saved her. "You're scaring me," when he turned to look at her, he was already sitting on the rail, a little bit too close from falling.

"Everything's so messed up. Ruka can't even remember me," his eyes closed when he faked a smile and she took a step forward afraid that if he did, he'd lose his grip. "Four years is a long time, isn't it?" with the setting sun behind his back, it would have been a very pretty picture or a scene from a movie. Haruka couldn't care less because Aine… he looks so sad.

"I'm not forcing you into anything, right?" her childhood friend asked and her eyes softened. Did he think that he was being greedy towards her? Aine would describe his sadness like death by a thousand paper cuts, for every time he remembered his loss it was another cut to his already damaged mind. None were enough to kill him, but overtime their accumulation bled him of the humanity he had once had. He once was gregarious and generous natured, now he was just gaunt and melancholic.

"Haruka, please, tell me that you wanted to be with me by your own will," nothing is relevant besides her answer because it would tell him whether he should stay or go. The feeling is strange; too familiar yet too strange. He never knew how to define it. He wanted to smile, laugh along with everyone but something in him grabs his heart tight, crushes it to pieces. The brightness inside of him is gulped by something dark. No, I would be wrong to say it is dark —it is empty, nothing else.

"Yes, the members of STARISH are important to me," she started off, the wind brushing her cheeks. Aine could almost feel his breath being taken away. "But Kisaragi-san needs my help more," she sadly smiles at him and he immediately knows that she's forcing himself. She's always like that. Too kind, too humble… too generous and too forgiving.

"And you also need to help me remember," by then she had her hand extended towards him and immediately, he takes it unto his and he lands on his feet, standing in front of her. She looks up at him and sees how different he is from Ai, his cyan eyes vaguely similar to the other person's has small silver specks in them. His hair is not actually in the same shade but a bit darker, almost like the sea when it rained… it was not teal, it reminded her of dark harbors and cloudy winters.

 _It was the physical exam for the fourth grade students, both of them being the same age of nine. They were called to the clinic in groups and were given papers which had their names on for the nurses to fill out during the examination. After the examination, they were supposed to give the paper to their teacher for compilation but she was late. Haruka and Aine's seats were nowhere near each other but apparently, he decided to transfer seats which was hey, not allowed because you'll be listed on the S.T.E.P. list on the blackboard. And by S.T.E.P. it meant sleeping, talking/transferring seats, eating and playing. Aine had a lot of lines next to his name. He was also on top of the list which as usual… wasn't so surprising._

" _Mine's 36 kg,"_

" _Damn, Aine that's heavy,"_

" _Shut up, you baldy!"_

" _Uhh… 27 kg,"_

 _Aine's eyes and mouth widened exaggeratedly at that, "What!? 27 kilograms!? Ruka, you weigh like paper!" It wasn't really true because the average weight for nine year olds was 28 kilograms and knowing that Haruka's health is usually frail, it's actually kind of good that she's near the average line. On the other hand, though Aine does not look overweight, he's pretty heavy. Have you seen his cheeks? He got out of the clinic late because the nurse got amazed by how soft his cheeks were. He's not fat, he's average and he's just… well he likes to eat a lot during recess. And, cough… cough… Aine-kun… cough… I don't think paper weighs 27 kilograms… cough…_

" _Well uhh… nurse-san said that it's okay since—"_

" _Ohh yeah, you're frail, Ruka," most of his classmates almost scoffed when they heard how forward he was. No one really talked about Haruka's health around here since it's_ that _bad. Well, they don't except for Aine who was too close to her to avoid those kinds of topics. They needed to talk about everything since they're best friends, duh. And Haruka's oba-chan, told him to look after her. "Aww, it's alright. I'll give you my recess so that you'll weigh more," his classmates scoffed for a second time because recess? His recess consisted of the cheesecakes and tarts since he lived with his grandparents who ran a bakery. A freaking_ bakery _. In the middle of the province. Well it was a good business but… anyway._

" _Kisaragi-kun, aren't you too heavy?"_

" _Kaichou! Shut up!"_

" _Ai-kun?" when Haruka tilted her head to the side and blinked at him in question, he couldn't help but blush because damn, he didn't want to be fat. Not that he was fat in the first place nor he has anything against chubby people. He just didn't want to be fat because he knew that Haruka was going to become such a goddess when she grows up. And if he was fat… kami, help him because he wouldn't be able to sleep at night. And Haruka liked cool guys right? Right!? Better tell oba-chan to give him less recess and cut off snack time then. Not all though. Just a little bit._

" _And your height? Mine is 134 cm,"_

" _Well… I'm 136 cm,"_

" _Damn, Aine she's taller than you,"_

" _How many times do I—shut up you baldy!"_

" _Kisaragi-kun, aren't you a bit too short?"_

" _Geez, Kaichou! Shut up!"_

Haruka giggled at the memory and Aine looked at her curiously for it. "I was taller than you back then," currently he was about 180 cm, taller than her by about 20. As of now, Haruka only reached up to his chin due to the height gap. Aine on the other hand looked surprised. As if immediately, he circled his hands around her waist and laughed against her neck.

"You remember!" the pianist's eyes widen at his genuine bliss. Aine… he could actually honestly laugh. The thought itself only made her smile more when he continued to repeat his words all over again. "You remember. Ruka, you actually remember me!" his hug got tighter by each second that passed but Haruka didn't complain. She patted him on the back and laughed at his antics. If remembering made Aine this happy, then she'd want to remember everything.

It's dark now and the snow slowly starts to fall, clumps of wet flakes drifting windlessly down, the air moist and the sidewalk covered in specks of white. In the master course dorms, everyone noticed that it's the first snowfall of the season. Intricate patterns of ice floated weightlessly downward from the sky, each flake dancing as the icy wind carried them towards the large French windows where the members of Quartet Night and STARISH were observing.

"Kohai-chan is moving out of the dorm," Reiji started when no one tried to speak. They were informed about this earlier just after they announced who the new idol Haruka was composing for. Kisaragi Aine… she was moving in with him and they had no idea where. "I don't want her to compose for anyone other than STARISH. Even if it's Aine," he could have mentioned his own team but he knew that it wasn't their place. Sure, Aine was also his best friend and he had blamed himself for years but to actually appear now and take her away… they all needed Haruka.

"According to my data, she's most likely to return here tomorrow. If she's going to move out of the dorm, she's going to need her things. Everything is in her room," Ai informed them and for a second, a flash of hope flashed unto everyone's eyes. "We won't let her leave," it didn't sound like a question. It was more of a command and a statement. No one really complained because they'd be willing to do anything just to make her stay.

"Do you think Aine's coming with her?" Syo asked, his hands itching to grab the guy's collar and talk some sense into him because you can't just steal other people's composer especially if they've been their song maker for more than three years already. They blamed the fault unto Aine although Haruka was the one who voluntarily handed the paper to Shining. They knew that something in her was triggered and convinced to actually believe whatever Aine said to her.

They don't know the whole story but it's wrong… everything… it's just wrong.

"I'm going to hide Haruka's laptop so that she doesn't find it. _Ever._ All of her reserved songs and projects are there so if she doesn't promise to stay, her career is ruined and Aine won't want her anymore," Cecil said out of the blue and everyone stared at him with startled looks on their faces. Well… that was rather… interesting. "By then she'll have no choice but to return to us and we'll welcome her with open arms," was it just them or did the prince's eyes look a bit teary?

Otoya's eyes darkened, worse than the time he was brainwashed by Eichi, "I'm… I'm going to hide Nanami's clothes." Camus and Ranmaru raised a brow while Reiji… he started to somehow walk backwards, horrified. He had heard of these kind of people before. If he remembered clearly, they were on the shojou manga he liked so much when he was a kid.

"No, don't hide her clothes. Hide _everything_ , every single thing she owns so that she can't leave," Syo added, completely determined to make her stay. Yes, you must be wondering why the members of STARISH are acting this way. They're this desperate… they're not going to let her leave.

"Someone needs to lock the door. And get rid of the key," Ren suggested and for the first time, Masato nodded. "Then we can talk to the little lamb and punish her for making us worry—" his childhood friend elbowed him on his side. Ren wasn't making sense at all and it wasn't even connected to the topic.

"Ohh, so Aine-chan is coming here, huh? I need to make him something! What do you think is good, Syo-chan? Do you think he'll like cookies?" Natsuki pestered the blonde and for some reason, he nodded. Heck, he was convincing him to make lots. And make sure that Aine brings them home with him.

"Guys, Nanami can't leave," all eyes turned unto Otoya who looked soulless. They all nodded and the members of Quartet Night started to walk away. They uhh… had different methods of convincing Haruka to at least remain in the dorm.

"Really guys," who would have expected that Tokiya would join in.

"Grab unto her and hide her in the basement if you have to,"


	6. Warning

**Tempest**

 **Summary:** _Kisaragi Aine has woken up and he's taking back what was originally his. His career, his friends and also Haruka. Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai._

 **Pairings:** _Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai. Slight!Nanami Haruka X STARISH._

 **Warnings:** _Alternate universe, bored STARISH, love triangle and OCC._

 **A/N:** Okay so do you guys see that bar over there? That bar on the side? See how short it is and how fast you reach the last part when you drag it down? Yes that's because this chapter is shorter. Some of you might get mad in this chapter but this is all for the sake of the story, it'll develop more so don't worry. And yes, the tension… it's real. Ai officially hates Aine— this is just their first meeting though, it's not the tempest yet.

 **Disclaimer:** _I do not own Uta no Prince-sama or any of its characters. This story is purely fan made and no profit has been made._

 **Chapter Six: Warning**

Cecil watched with shivering curled fists and teary eyes when Haruka started to pack up her things. Almost everyone was standing by the door, too shy to actually enter a lady's room moreover Haruka's. Last night they were discussing tactics on how to make her stay. What happened to those? Not being able to handle it anymore, the prince ran away sobbing while the others remained, not taking their eyes off the lady.

"Nanami, don't leave," Otoya pleaded, his voice sounding a bit less cheerful that usual. All that was left was for him to actually extend his hand but she didn't bother to look back and just continued to stuff her clothes in her suitcase. "Don't leave," he repeated, hands tightly gripping on the door frame. Haruka didn't want to turn around— her heart would get weak and she wouldn't be able to do what she needed to since they were all crowding at the door whimpering like puppies. And talking about puppies, Syo looked like he was ready to bite whoever that Aine person was.

"Nanami-san, can we please talk this through with the others?" the leader-like member of the pack— I mean _group_ , pleaded. At least he kept calm though if he was a dog, he'd he a husky with his ears low since inside, he's also sad… very sad. "We… do not like this sudden decision," he sounded like he was crestfallen but Haruka didn't want to believe her ears since Ichinose-san was a very talented actor. It was not like she was heartless or anything, yes, she wanted to stay. But Aine…

Aine might try to attempt something again— she can't risk him trying to end his life.

" _Aine didn't have a choice,"_

"Minna-san, I'm very sorry," when she finished closing her bag she looked at them with the saddest pair of eyes they had seen on her. Haruka was always genuine, she never lied… Why did _she_ want to leave? "Things had taken such a turn and honestly, I don't know what to do," what she knew was that _living_ was more important. Aine was _suicidal_ , him being gone for four years because of stress was proof itself. She knew that she needed to help him in any way that she can— that his state is partially her fault.

"Then let us settle this by talking. I'm sure that there is a solution," Tokiya suggested, now obviously looking and sounding concerned. The pianist shook her head with a sad smile— she promised Aine that she would only compose for _him_. Even if he did agree to let her compose for STARISH, Haruka knew that he was a good actor, things could happen. "You don't have to quit being our composer," the idol unconsciously tightened his fists. They've been with Haruka for three years through thick and thin. They had to share with six other members and sometimes Quartet Night— a lot of people wanted to sing her songs. Why is the thought of seeing her compose for only _one_ make their blood boil so much!?

"Minna-san, _please_ , I'm doing this for the best," Haruka wasn't really the type to hold her tears back. Usually, she was open with STARISH… a bit too often. It wasn't a bad thing, it was just…. It made things too painful to part. "The members of STARISH hold a very dear place in heart but I know that you've heard of Kisaragi-san. He needs my help," they all resisted from looking away while Syo settled upon finally showing anger on his face.

"So Nanami you're just going to leave?" he didn't sound mad or anything. His voice was low and eyes narrowed to the side dangerously as if holding back his anger. Syo, though a bit rowdy sometimes was always gentle with Haruka. "What about everything that happened these past three years? The academy, the awards, those titles you've given us because of your songs, aren't you proud? Aren't those valuable?" they all knew that labels, wins, certificates and trophies did not matter to Haruka. She was always happy as long as they performed on the stage together.

"Kisaragi didn't do anything in that time span, he was _dead_ ,"

Tokiya flinched at his words while Natsuki tried to calm him down.

Death.

" _What do you know of death?"_

 _Haruka's body was under the water and her skin felt cold. In the movies drowning is loud and splashy—someone yells and waves their arms. They dip below the waves and come up in a dramatic fashion while those on shore scramble to rescue them. In her experience, drowning is quiet, their movements are subtle and they rarely make any noise at all. One minute their head is bobbing above the water and then it is gone._ _It was suffocating and your cells felt as if they were on fire._

" _Of course you aced the test again," she could see an eleven year old Aine roll his eyes at her. He always seemed to be upset whenever she got higher grades than him. Maybe it was because he wanted to look smart in front of her. "When do you not ace a test?" he dropped his own paper on her desk, showing the girl his score— two mistakes, not that far from being perfect. "You always ace the test," some of the girls snickered at the two because Aine was being chatty again— even if it was just him speaking and Haruka being embarrassed at everything he says._

" _How do you ace a test!?" despite being smart, of course Aine himself was not perfect. He had to admit, he was pretty jealous of her test result. Haruka sighed while the eleven year old sunk on a seat beside his childhood friend— of course it was not his— the teachers have secretly agreed to place the two furthest from each other because Aine with his wit and personality would always find ways and loopholes just to seat near his friend. For an eleven year old, he was exasperating really._

"He can't just show up all of a sudden and decide what happens. There's not even a proper assessment here, he just wants to take you away from us," Syo rambled on and everyone noticed the frown on their composer's face. Usually, the blonde wasn't this negative. "And he's not even here. He's not even properly going to ask us if it's fine on _our_ behalf," by then Haruka looked crestfallen and Tokiya tried to his teammate down in no avail. Thing is, he does have a point.

 _Haruka could remember footsteps, hitched breathing aside from those who surrounded her on the hallway. Around her were teenagers who were crowding, wanting to know what the commotion was about. A group tried to help her out, trying to wake her up but were desperately failing. Being a child prodigy in an academy filled with older people was intimidating. Haruka doesn't remember what exact date it was but she could identify his voice from the crowd— it was Aine._

"Syo, you need to stop," Tokiya was the first one to intervene despite knowing his facts. It was the look on the pianist's face that drove him on the edge. Syo looked mad but everyone understood— no one wanted her to leave without a proper explanation. "Let's all have a proper conversation about this, shall we? Nanami-san?" his attention shifted on her, he was obviously asking for her time. "I'm sure you won't mind?" he almost sounded as if he was pleading— a bit unlikely for someone like Tokiya.

 _Haruka lies in the bleach tinctured ward on the crisp but thinning sheets. A curtain hangs limply on the chrome railing, looking like it's been washed a thousand times. With eyes on the polystyrene tiles above she hears the door open and in comes Aine with red upon his eyes and cheeks. She feels her chest tighten into a knot like cramp knowing that he probably found out. His expression tells her everything— from pain to disappointment._

" _You didn't tell me that you weren't feeling well," Aine enters the room with a solemn look on his face. The way he closed the door behind him seems a bit too careful and quiet. Haruka sadly smiles at him as she fidgets on the sheets. "Your grandma said that you won't be returning to the academy anymore," when he sits down beside her and gives her that forced smile, she knew that he was purposely avoiding the main topic about her situation just to make her feel better._

"Minna-san, I—"

"Haru-chan," everyone turns their head to the source of the voice. Syo's eyes slightly narrows because standing in front of them was Ringo with the most forced smile they have ever seen on him. "Uhh…" his eyes go from the composer to the members of STARISH. "Aine... he's here," he almost seemed a bit hesitant at first. Slightly surprised, the pianist sends the boys a curious glance— they obviously looked pissed off. "He was supposed to meet Shining today but uhhh… how do I say this? Just… just come with me," when he leads the way to the living room, everyone automatically follows.

Otoya looks very nervous, "H-He's here, what do we do? He's going to take Nanami." Cecil silently shakes his head at the statement while Ren unconsciously clenches his hands. Syo is very open with his emotions— he grits his teeth and glares at his teammate, not liking the negativity. There was no way they were going to let Haruka go with some person they barely knew.

"He is not going to take her away," Masato sounds a bit too stern for his usual image. "We've been through this situation a thousand times with HEAVENS. They're seven and he's only one," he was trying to assure the others that they were going to be fine but deep inside they were scared— it never got to this point before. "I'm sure that there's a way," he silently adds at the end of his sentence.

 _CRASH!_

When they make it to the living room they are greeted by glass hitting the floor. Haruka and the members of STARISH couldn't help but pause on their tracks.

"Ai, calm down!" Reiji was in between the two creating a gap with his hands. Ranmaru and Camus were holding their teammate back and both also looked pretty annoyed. The android's eyes flashed — or was it because of anger? Cyan orbs looked sharper that they have ever seen before as they focused on the person in front of him. If a person knew less, they would be considered identical twins.

"What the hell," Syo muttered under his breath, loud enough for the members of STARISH who were standing behind him to hear.

"K-Kisaragi-san!" Haruka immediately rushes to his side, checking if he was injured. His first two buttons were open— Ai had grabbed him by the collar. "Are you alright?" she gives him a worried look, asking if he was fine. Cecil bitterly turns his head away out of jealously while some were furious— especially Syo.

"Haruka, do me a favor and get away from him," Ai silently curses under his breath. She looks a bit shocked seeing how it was possible for him to get actually get mad. "Get away from him," he slowly emphasizes on his words and when Ranmaru sees the idol's hands tighten, his grip on him also does the same. There was a cold burning to Ai's rage, an ice that scared Haruka. She'd have not seen that look in his eyes before and definitely never towards her. It was how he showed hatred, dominance and imparted fear. It was almost unbelievable to see him express this much emotion.

"Kouhai-chan, I think it would be better if you stepped back," Reiji says with a smile on his face. Haruka looks at the group, a bit worried but is immediately pulled back by Aine. All glares around him intensify and the air feels heavy— he has no idea what on earth he's doing, does he? Cyan eyes, teal hair, same height, same posture, same features, same face— Ai and Aine were completely identical. _Completely_ identical. So why? Ai's attention went to the hand on Haruka's arm and he could feel Ranmaru behind him pulling him backwards. Someone needs to _calm_ down and it's not him.

"Aine… please go talk to Shining," Reiji was indirectly making him leave in order not cause a scene. Things would just get worse if the two stayed in the same room. "Go," the eldest of the group lowered his head, eyes almost looking a bit teary at the sight of his long lost friend. "Everyone is upset because of you right now," he didn't know how to address the situation so when he saw the pain that flashed on Aine's eyes, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty.

The idol's attention went back and forth from Reiji to Ai in those few seconds that passed. Of course, four years is a _very_ long time. If you looked closer, you would be able to see the pools of water that started to circle his eyes. "Of course," he looked at the group one last time before turning his heel and walking away. Haruka, she was about to go after him when her arm was held back by Otoya who looked like he was on the verge of crying.

Ranmaru scoffed letting go of Ai, obviously exhausted before he muttered, "this is messed up."

Everyone couldn't agree less.


	7. Storm At Bay

**Tempest**

 **Summary:** _Kisaragi Aine has woken up and he's taking back what was originally his. His career, his friends and also Haruka. Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai._

 **Pairings:** _Kisaragi Aine X Nanami Haruka X Mikaze Ai. Slight!Nanami Haruka X STARISH._

 **Warnings:** _Alternate universe, bored STARISH, love triangle and OCC._

 **A/N:** Well this chapter is a little bit boring but fear not! Next chapter is all going to be about Ai and his story. Well, I've been thinking of his story line for a while now so I'll manage… I think. Please, do not judge the characters by what they do— everything happens for a reason (or I'm just giving you a clue because everyone seems to hate Aine) Ai and Aine are going through a lot, okay? And… well, about STARISH in this chapter, please don't hate on them! I… made them do it. They just don't strike me as characters that would let Haruka go without a fight.

P.S. – NO ONE KNOWS THAT AI IS AINE'S REPLACEMENT… yet.

 **Disclaimer:** _I do not own Uta no Prince-sama or any of its characters. This story is purely fan made and no profit has been made._

 _ **Chapter Six: Storm at Bay**_

" _If you are trapped between your feelings and what other people think is right, always go for whatever makes you happy,"_

 _A thirteen year old Aine stared at the cold winter sea. Perhaps with this, everything would be over._

" _ **Unless you want everyone to be happy except for you,"**_

 _With an outreached hand he walked towards the water— bittersweet tears running down cheeks, "Haruka."_

 _And then he got swallowed by the waves._

"…ragi… Mister Kisaragi," Aine was snapped out of his daze when he noticed the president staring at him. "Like I've said, since you would be having your comeback concert in three months, I've told Miss Nanami to compose an album for you. Her deadline is two weeks from now so by then, you'll have to appear on various shows in order to promote yourself," it was a standard marketing trick in the show business. Aine didn't really have much of a problem with it. "Mister Kisaragi, you need to make your identity known again," Shining smiled his usual blinding grin— he looked completely the same as far as Aine's memory could tell.

"Shiny, isn't one album too much for just two weeks? Ruka can't possibly work all day long," of course he knew since he came from Shining academy— a natural child prodigy since the start. There was no way a normal person would be able to compose an album in just a short amount of time. Did he mention that an album had more than twelve songs? That meant his composer had to make one song every single day.

Much to his chagrin, Shining only laughed at his statement, "Were talking about Miss Nanami here Mister Kisaragi. She composes for seven idols, eleven if you add Quartet Night. One album is no problem." Aine couldn't help but smile at his assurance. Of course, how could he forget? It was Nanami Haruka for crying out loud. "Now do me a favor and help her get settled in the apartment that I gave you two," he turned around his chair, saying his sentences in a sing-song voice as usual. Aine sighed and nodded before exiting the room — he and Haruka were going to be under the same roof, it was an idea given to them by Shining. Perhaps it was for some kind practice for them to get closer for the sake of the songs, no one really knows.

"I'll see later, prez," the idol turned his heel and walked out of the room. It kind of felt weird seeing the president again. Honestly speaking, there was still that hatred lurking inside Aine— he hated the agency he was in, it was the one who put them in this situation. _"Just a little bit more, Aine,"_ walking down the hallway was also one of the strangest things. He had never been in this building before —the company had expanded. Haruka's skills have also improved or so he heard. _Haruka._ The idol's eyes softened. Perhaps she was the only reason why he was keeping this up.

"No, Nanami you can't,"

Aine was greeted by an argument in front of the wide doors. Ren, Tokiya and Masato were standing in front of the door— which was closed while Natsuki and Syo hung unto their composer's things. Otoya and Cecil were coaxing her with all their might, both pair of eyes looking as if they were just about to burst in tears. "M-Minna-san, haven't we talked about this?" Haruka looked tired, she wasn't really in the mood to deal with this again— it wasn't like she wanted to leave on her own will, she wanted to do this because it was a better choice.

"Give us a reason _why_ you should leave," Syo said looking a bit stern. Cecil winced at the tone of his voice because that wasn't a question. That was a command, Syo needed to know— they all needed to know. "Give us a reason why you would just throw the three years we've all been through just for him," his lines would've passed for a drama with the way he sounded and looked— he was desperate. It was as if they were in a scene you'd see in movies. It was as if everyone played a role.

"Syo-kun," Haruka whispered, her heart breaking when she saw the look on his face. For the members of STARISH, she was never the type to choose between two people. Seeing her want to be with someone, an individual— was an eye opener. There was that burning rage, that jealously. They hated seeing her with someone they didn't know. It would've been easier to accept if it was one of them but… "Please… _please_ , I need you to understand," she knew that the members of STARISH understood. It was just that emotional string which seemed to be a meter thick that kept them tight.

"Three years Nanami," by then Syo was already huffing, not by crying but out of anger. "Three _fucking_ years! You've been with us through thick and thin, you were the one who brought us here!" one would have thought that he was being a bit too emotional but this was Haruka they were talking about. She's not just any other face, she's not just their composer — she was the girl they love. "I hate it so much when you keep things to yourself," like that time she ran away and went back home, like that time she cried and hid it from them so that they wouldn't worry.

"Nanami, are we too unbearable?" Haruka lowered her head, hands unconsciously grasping at the hem of her shirt. "Why is it that you want to leave?" when Tokiya placed a hand on his shoulder, the blonde merely shrugged him off and gave him a glare. "Are you tired of us?" it wasn't only Syo's eyes which got a bit teary— Natsuki, Otoya and Cecil's also did. Masato and Tokiya had worried and devastated expressions while Ren refused to look at the scene.

"Syo-kun…. No, that's not the case. I would never—" her sentence was cut off when Ren, out of all people, started walking towards Aine. Haruka's eyes widened while the others' attention shifted unto the pair also looking vexed like the cassanova. "Please…" the pianist pleaded, she obviously didn't want them to fight. If you looked very closely, you would be able to see tears in her eyes. "Jinguji-san…" the incident earlier with Quartet Night had been enough.

"Don't worry little lamb," Ren smiled over his shoulder before he turned to Aine. "I just wanted to talk with him," their height difference of five centimeters was not that much but in that moment, Ren seemed to tower over the idol. "He looks fairly identical to Mikaze or is that also a coincidence?" Aine's eyes narrowed in annoyance. Of course he was referring to the guy who he encountered earlier today. Who else had his face? The irony.

Haruka's eyes widened, _"…coincidence?"_ Tokiya stared at her and narrowed his eyes but kept quiet. Masato also noticed the look on Syo's face— disturbed and bothered. They obviously _knew_ something that the others did _not_.

" _My uncle told me that if he had a son he'd name him Ai,"_

Haruka's eyes narrowed at the flashback.

" _Kinda similar to my name, right?"_

Natsuki blinked at the composer's expression.

" _My uncle's kinda strange but he's really smart though. He just loves me too much that he'd name his own son after me,"_

The pianist simply stared at the scene in front of her before putting the thoughts at the back of her head.

"I believe that it is only a coincidence. I have never heard of him in my entire life," Aine gave everyone in the room a smile and a good icy stare— Otoya flinched, he looked kind of scary. "Have you been packing your things, Ruka?" when he walked towards her with that change of expression, they all twitched. Who was he to talk to her with such familiarity? And _Ruka?_ "Shiny gave me his orders, told me to help you move out. It's necessary to follow the President's commands, _isn't it_?" he threw his words at the members of STARISH who seemed persistent in letting her stay.

"Y-You're not talking Nanami anywhere," Otoya who seemed hesitant to speak up after all this time defended. "I'm sure that we can do something about the president's demands. She's our composer, all these years she has always been—" the room became quiet when he was cut off by a reply from Aine.

"She's _my_ composer. Or have you forgotten about her resignation?" when his eyes turned stern, STARISH's hate for him seemed to skyrocket a mile. Who was he to just come in walking and suddenly declare that Haruka was his!? "Don't get me wrong, I've got papers to prove it," the smile on his face seemed sickening in Cecil's eyes— his muse, she was not actually going with a person like _him_!? "And if were talking about years, since were childhood friends we know each other longer than you guys, nee?" it was that hand that went around Haruka's shoulders that put the prince on the edge. Both him and Cecil needed to be restrained on the spot.

"Get. Your. Filthy. Hands. Off her," the prince's canine abilities seemed to come back with the way he growled— no one has seen Cecil like this before. "You're not in your right mind. You obviously don't know what you're talking about. Kisaragi you're just a manipulative beast," it was safe to say that Otoya had a hard time restraining him. Haruka on the other hand looked crestfallen with the way Cecil spoke— it was this fighting that she hated the most.

"Cecil-san, that's too much… I've passed my letter to the president because it was my choice. It wasn't because Kisaragi-san forced me to do so. I genuinely wanted to be his composer," when she saw the hurt and betrayal flash in front of Cecil's eyes, she gasped and took a step backwards. "I... I don't want to leave STARISH… but when I think about it, you guys have already come so far. At the beginning, I just wanted to write songs… not compete," the room kept quiet when she started to speak— all eyes on her and pained expressions on their faces.

"You guys have grown so much since three years ago that you'll manage without me. Kisaragi-san on the other hand—"

"Wants to take advantage of you," Ren continued her sentence with a rather forbidding tone of voice.

Haruka painfully closed her eyes, "needs my help." Seeing the resolve in her face, Otoya turned his head while the others averted their glance. "Please understand and I know that you're worried about me. I'll be able to take care of myself from now on, I promise," if she left the mansion with bad feelings, she wouldn't be able to sleep at night. STARISH has been her greatest achievement, they played a very big role in her life.

The silence was the most terrifying part. Like before a bomb, it's a time for hope to grow or wither. It is a time for doubt to suddenly grow until it's almost physical. The silence was the most painful part, more painful as you'd wish for it to happen instead of endure the silence. When you do endure the silence you'll wish for pain rather than endure. It was torture. The only thing that broke the silence was the sound of heels making contact against the tiled floor and the energetic footsteps it made.

"Haru-chan~! Aine-kun~! Are you ready to move out and embark on a new adventure?" Ringo entered the room with the most enthusiastic and happy smile that everyone had seen throughout the day. When he paused in the middle of the room and no one answered, he blinked and looked at the idols that were silent at his entrance, "Hmm?" the teacher blinked— usually everyone was so eager and full of sunshine.

Ringo grinned, "Geez, you didn't have to be so speechless!" he placed both of his hands on his face and giggled like the usual Ringo he was.

Cecil looked exhausted.

Natsuki faked a smile for once.

And Tokiya… Tokiya just face palmed.


End file.
